Trying To Do the Right Thing
by finalitylife
Summary: Sometimes the right choice is not always what it seems, sometimes itis nearly impossible to find, and sometimes the right choice hurts to grasp on to. Important choices are never easy, but choices must be made, something Robin is beginning to understand.
1. A Decision of Consequence

1

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans so lets not try and sue me since I don't have anything to sue for.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

By: Finalitylife

The problem that I faced at this moment was unlike anything I thought I would ever face and I knew that its solution would change things greatly. This problem was something that I had tried so hard to avoid but I couldn't maintain indifference toward my friends. It was in my nature to try and help people when they had problems and it was that fact that probaly put me in this situation. Batman always taught me that emotions were a weakness and that people you cared about could be used against you. I said I understood what he said yet I still formed a team with people that I now cared very deeply for and exactly what Batman had meant was proven a horrible reality when Slade made me his apprentice. My friends lives were threatened because of me, they were used to make me what I always feared I would become. I was forced to hurt them physically and emotionally to protect them.

After the whole ordeal, I vowed I would never allow something like that to happen again. I told myself that I would have to distance myself from them more so that no one else would see just how much I cared for them, so no one else could use them as Slade did. However, I couldn't do it. I couldn't completely push them away and I continued to try and make them all happy, to let them know how I cared for them. I realized that I had gotten too close and could never live without them by my side and I accepted that eventually but I also decided I would never get any closer to them than I already was.

I sit in my room mulling over what I should do. I did not want to do what I was going to do but it needed to be done though I was still having trouble finding the correct words. In reality, I highly doubted that there were correct words for this. How does one tell two women that the feelings they feel for him can never be returned. That no matter how much they cared, it would always be unrequited love because duty would always override emotion. Starfire would be much easier. It was no secret that the beautiful, bubbly Tamaranian princess had a crush on me.

Anyone with half a brain could see that. I always played it off as if I didn't know, that I didn't notice her desire to be by me constantly, how she got jealous of Kitten when I was forced to go on a date with her. I pleaded ignorance, trying not to encourage whatever fantasy she had concocted in her head though maybe it was my fault for always spending time with her, feeling obligated to teach her the ways of Earth.

I knew that it was only a matter of time before she would confess her undying love for me and I decided that I would talk to her before she got the chance. I would have to sit her down and shatter her kind, gentle heart. I did not want to do it but I knew the sooner she knew the truth, the sooner she could move on. I knew Starfire well and I knew that she would be very sad for awhile but would recover. I knew that eventually her feelings would transfer to someone else and she would be just as happy with that person as she thought she would have been with me. Starfire would always find a way to be happy and that was perhaps her greatest gift. Despite all that, I still knew the look in her eyes when I told her we would never be together would probably haunt me for years to come. I would be a monster if I could hurt the most pure and innocent being in the universe and not feel bad about it. I let out a deep sigh. Starfire was the minor problem in all this. She was nothing compared to what I knew would come with dealing with Raven.

I'm still not entirely sure when it started or rather how it even started but one day I simply noticed her giving me looks. It would be out of the corner of my eye and I'm sure if I didn't wear a mask it would never had occurred because Raven couldn't tell I was looking at her, but I saw it. She would sit quietly on the couch, reading her large books that managed to make her look even smaller but she was never reading entirely. I would catch her glancing up every so often at me and then her eyes would quickly dart back to the book as if nothing had happened.

For a while, I paid no attention to it but even I couldn't ignore them when they started increasing in number and would occasionally be accompanied with a small blush. Once again it was probably my fault that the emotions started. I was always asking her how she was doing and trying to get her to be more open. I tried to make my friend feel better and tried to get to know her better. Sometimes I wish I could deny my nature of helping people but I can't, especially when I consider them friends.

I knew it was getting worse when she would start meditating in the training room while I worked out. I could feel her eyes on me as I trained and it was slightly unnerving. I would always ask her why she was there and not the roof and her reply would be its too hot outside. I would ask her why she wasn't in her room and she would tell me she needed to get out of her room for a little bit. I would never get any more words from her other than that.

Finally, it was when she entered into my mind to save me from Slade that I finally knew the truth. Raven, the dark, emotionless girl who always said feelings were pointless, had fallen in love with me. Maybe it was intentional by her, maybe it was the only was she could try and tell me her feelings, but when she entered my mind, she created a bond between us. Through that bond, I was able to pick up on some of her emotions, the emotions she felt for me. The love she had for me, the happiness that coursed through her every time I was near her.

The bond also allowed me to catch glimpses of her dreams, well the better word to describe them would be fantasies. I never thought Raven would dream what she did. I was sure Starfire's fantasies consisted of holding hands and moonlight walks but Raven's were far different than I could have ever believed would come from the reserved, quiet young woman. They do say it's always the quiet ones and I could feel myself slightly blush as I thought back to what I saw. Raven's fantasies were passionate and intense, full of a cascade of emotions that she probably had never felt before. They had an animalistic quality to them. Raven wanted me, Raven needed me, Raven had a hunger for me. She dreamed of us intertwined in a sweating, panting embrace over and over again. I'd be lying if I said I didn't find some enjoyment in seeing them. I was a guy after all but I knew I shouldn't think like that. I could not allow myself to be tempted in any way. It would just make it harder to tell her just like I would tell Starfire, that we would never be together.

I dreaded telling Raven the truth far more than Starfire. I did not know what her reaction would be. Raven may appear as the strong one, the tough one to everyone who saw her but she was indeed the most fragile member of our team. Her inexperience and repression of her emotions for so long made her especially susceptible to emotional suffering and I couldn't even fathom what the truth would do to her.

Would she breakdown and cry? Would the Tower blow up? Would she get angry and banish me to some far off, dark dimension? I wasn't sure if I would survive my encounter with her.

However, I knew I had to tell her. If I allowed it to continue, she would only feel stronger and stronger for me as time went on which would only make her reaction that much worse. It was best to reveal the truth as soon as possible and there was no time like the present. I forced myself to my feet, despite protests from both the emotional and logical parts of my mind but I ignored them. I was set in my path. I would not allow anyone to get any closer to me. I would not allow Starfire or Raven to be singled out as the best target to get at me because I was with them. I would protect them even if it meant breaking their hearts.

I walked out of my room into the dark hallway. It was nearly midnight and I was sure all the titans were not in bed, well except for Raven. Like me, she had a tendency to be up at all hours of the night so more than likely she was still awake. I kind of knew she was awake because I was sure that if she was asleep, my mind would have been assaulted by visions of intertwined bodies and moaning. I walked slower than I usually did, being in no rush to do what I was going to do. This was going to be the hardest thing I had ever done but I knew it was the right thing. I now found myself standing in front of the cold, steel door of Raven's room. I could feel her inside her room through our link and I was fairly positive she knew I was there as well. I knocked on the door and waited for her to answer it. I heard her cloak swooshing as she walked toward the door. It slid open slightly and I could see two large, purple eyes staring at me from the darkness. Her voice was emotionless but I knew she was simply hiding what she felt.

"Yes Robin?" I wanted to give her a grin or a smile or something but I kept my face blank.

"I would like to talk to you about something Raven, something important." Some unidentifiable emotion flashed in her eyes for a brief moment then was gone.

"Fine. Come in." The door slid open all the way as Raven walked back into her room leaving me at the door. "Close the door after you come in." I nodded and entered into the darkness. Her room had a gothic style to it and most people would have considered it freaky but it had a quiet beauty to it, just like Raven. I pushed those thought to the back of my mind as I continued to take in my surroundings. Raven sat down on her bed and pulled off her hood revealing her face entirely to me. She motioned for me to sit next to her but I shook my head.

"Thank you but I prefer to stand." She gave me a strange look but did not press it.

"So what is it you want to talk to me about Robin." I let out a deep sigh.

"Whether you are aware of this or not, but ever since you entered my mind, a kind of bond has formed between us. I can feel your emotions and I can see your dreams." Raven simply nodded as I spoke, not looking surprised or shocked in the least which pretty much confirmed by belief that she knew about it already and probably created the bond on purpose.

"Because of that fact, I became aware of some of your feelings, most specifically those regarding me, and it did confirm something that I had already suspected."

"And what is that Robin?" Her voice was quiet though still monotone and emotionless. I looked at her noticing that she was staring directly at me.

"That…that you are in love with me." I stared at her as she continued to stare at me. The room was silent for a few seconds before she looked away, turning her head so that she was no longer looking at me. Her voice came out shaky and almost scared sounding. It wasn't something that I was used to hearing from her.

"I'm sorry Robin. I formed the bond because it was the only way I could truly let you know how I felt. I've tried to deny my feelings, I've tired to ignore what my heart tells me is true, but I just can't." Again she looked at me.

"I love you Robin. I love you so much." I could feel emotions radiating off of her and I knew that what she said was entirely true. I simply stood there, blank expression on my face as Raven looked at me with hope in her eyes, waiting for me to respond. I willed my heart to stone as I knew I was going to crush that hope.

"That's why I've come to talk with you Raven. I've come to tell you that I can't return those feelings. I've come to tell you that you are a dear friend to me and that you should stop wasting time desiring something that will never happen." My voice was cold and blunt. It was easier if I stayed completely detached, left no room for misinterpretation. Even when her eyes started glossing over with tears waiting to fall and her heart breaking into a million pieces, I continued to stand there with no expression. Eventually she dropped her head down as if in shame and I was pretty sure she had started crying by the sound of her voice.

"Its Starfire isn't it. It's because you want her. I should have known that would happen. Who would want someone who is creepy and ugly when they could have her." My mind cringed as she berated herself but I held firm even when something behind me blew up.

"No. Starfire has nothing to do with this. I simply will not allow myself to get any closer to you than I already am and want you to forget about whatever you feel for me. It is for your own good as well as for the good of the team. I'm sure you will understand eventually and realize this is all for the best." A nearby statue shattered as Raven began openly crying. I wanted to run over and comfort her but I remained where I was at as she cried. I just told her to cut out her heart and I was sure that any sudden movement would result in bodily harm. Something else in the room exploded as she looked up with a look of anger in her eyes. I could feel whatever bond we had instantly disappear as her piercing gaze settled on me. Her voice was low and filled with rage.

"Get out. Get out now Robin." I'd be lying if I said the look on her face didn't scare me. With no other word, I simply turned around and let myself out the room. The door closed behind me and I found myself standing there for a few seconds as I listened to Raven crying in her room, crying because of me. I could hear her talking to herself as she sobbed and she kept saying the same thing over and over again.

"This can't be happening. Why won't I wake up from my nightmare?" Her voice was almost painful to listen to and I eventually willed myself to walk away. I kept telling myself it was all for the best and Raven would eventually realize I was doing it because I cared about her safety and wellbeing but I was having a very difficult time convincing myself of that fact. I found myself back at my room and opened it to reveal total destruction. Apparently, Raven's powers had lashed out at my room, destroying everything. A small part of my brain told me that I deserved this as I walked through the debris toward the one surviving piece of furniture, my bed. I dropped on to the bed hoping to fall asleep though sleep would not come for me. I could still hear Raven crying in my mind and I knew it would haunt me just as Starfire's tears would after I talked with her tomorrow.

In her room, Raven was curled up in a small ball on her bed as she continued to shake and cry. All she wanted to do was fade away, to leave this existence behind and embrace nothingness. She was absolutely devastated and it felt like her heart had disappeared. She would have given him everything. She would have loved him forever but he said it would never be. The only thing that was keeping her going right now was the simple fact of what Robin hadn't said. He said he couldn't return her feelings. He said he was doing this for her own good and for the good of the team. He said to forget about her emotions for him. However, never once did he say he didn't love her. He never once said he didn't, he only said he couldn't. A small sliver of hope burned deep within Raven, just enough to keep her from embracing the darkness. It would have to do for now. The smallest of smiles formed on Raven's face though it was only for an instant. It was only a few seconds later that she was asleep, dreamless, but peaceful.


	2. Nightmares and Dates

A/N: This took awhile to get out and I'm not quite sure how I feel about its quality, especially considering how well the first chapter was received. Sorry for the delay. Holiday weekend and all, and I've had trouble finding motivation to write so my deepest apologies. Hope everyone enjoys this. It kind of goes with the idea that what one thinks is a good idea may be a bad one after the fact and how its still hard to go against what one truly believes to be right. Time to thank quite a few people.

Start with thanking those who reviewed Afraid to Lose Again after I posted the third chapter. I may continue that story one day but probably not until after I've seen The End. So thanks to **Major Misprint, evilsangle, darkofthenight, darkkara13, Cherry Jade, I am the Lev, sailorgirl16, They Call Me Sweetsnow, Chica De Los Ojos Café, and anime09.** Normally I have longer notes to each reviewer but not this time so sorry. I'm glad you enjoyed that story and I hope you are reading this one too so you can see my thanks to you.

On to reviews for this story:

**zadeon: **Glad to see your reading this story too. I guess its an impressive feat to cause another writer to run out of words to say but it is still always good to hear a compliment. Hope this chapter is good and let me know if something doesn't make sense because I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter and you might be able to spot something.

**evilsangle: **Thanks for another positive review. Sorry for not much writing lately since I usually have at least a chapter every two days but just been kind of blah. Hope you like this chapter and I'll try to pick up the pace a little for you.

**Cherry Jade: **That was one of the best reviews I've ever gotten. You made me feel good about my writing more than the story itself which is always good to hear. I'm glad I'm able to convey emotions so successfully because that is always one of the goals in writing.

**spooke: **Thanks. Glad you like this story. Hope you like this chapter too.

**Ninj4 girl: **I was really trying to keep Robin in character and I'm glad you think I did. I don't know how exactly how long this story will be but it should continue for a while so I hope you continue to enjoy it.

KhmerGurl113: If you read anything else I wrote, you will find I usually write lots of sadness into my stories though there usually are bright moments to balance but regardless, I'm glad you enjoy my story.   
broken.ballerina: Thanks for the review and hope you enjoy this next chapter. 

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans so lets not try and sue me since I don't have anything to sue for.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 2

By: Finalitylife

I found myself in a dark place. The sky was completely black and empty and the ground hard and unforgiving. There seemed to be nothing around me except for the large stone platform I stood on. I peered carefully over the edge and saw only oblivion below. I was startled when he heard a dark chuckle behind me. I quickly turned around though I already knew who I would see. That mocking laugh could only belong to one person.

"Slade!" I could feel my rage and anger building within me as I glared at the man who continued to haunt my dreams as well as my reality. He stood there with his arms behind his back in his typical fashion, dressed in his mask and armor and I could tell by the look in his eye that he was smiling at me.

"Hello my apprentice. It is good to see you again. It has been awhile." I refused to stand there and listen to his taunting and charged forward. I threw a punch at his face but only hit thin air. I stumbled slightly but regained my balance quickly and turned around expecting to have to dodge an attack but nothing came. Slade was once again standing about 20 feet in front of me in exactly the same position as before.

"Really now Robin. I am just here to congratulate you. You are finally taking the steps required to truly become my apprentice." I could feel myself growling though I did not attack. My voice came out low and filled with a quiet rage.

"What are you talking about?" He openly started laughing at my question.

"Come now my apprentice. What do you think I'm talking about? The way you handled Raven was perfect. All that poor girl wanted was a little passion, a little love and you destroyed her. You are finally starting to understand just how pointless emotions are. You are starting to realize how useless your friends are. You now understand just how irrelevant love is." I knew he was grinning maliciously under his mask.

"Shut up! You don't know anything about me. You don't understand anything about what I've done. I'm doing the right thing."

"Yes Robin. You have done the right thing." The sinister tone of his voice sent a chill done my spine though I remained as still as I could.

"More and more you become like me, you become what I always wanted for an apprentice." I lowered my head taking in his words. I wanted to deny them completely but I just couldn't. Guilt would not allow me to disregard what was being said. My voice came out quiet with a bit of hopelessness .

"I'm nothing like you. I'm not a monster." Somehow Slade had managed to end up standing next to me. He hissed into my ear threw his mask.

"What do you think will happen to Raven now? She's so dark, so reclusive, so very, very alone. Do you think she can handle what you've done? Do you think she will survive this?"

"She's strong. She survived Malchior's betrayal."

"You know as well as I do that was nothing but an infatuation. Her feelings for you were stronger, deeper. You are everything to her and she's lost you. She won't make it threw the night." I let out a scream of rage and threw another punch at Slade, only again to hit nothing. I was shocked to find myself now in a different place, a place I couldn't help but recognize. I was now in Raven's room. The room felt cold, dead and I soon knew why. Lying on the floor was Raven. Her cloak was gone, allowing me to see the deep cuts at her wrists. Crimson flowed nonstop from her wounds, staining the floor red, endlessly red. I ran over to her and pulled her into my arms. Her body was cold, her skin paler than I had ever seen it, yet the blood that flowed from her arms on to me was warm, burning me with its touch. I couldn't breathe and my mind was numb. I suddenly heard Slade's voice again in my head.

"Look what you've done my apprentice. You've killed her. You've taken your first life. Doesn't it feel good." I hugged Raven's limp body tighter and started screaming.

"Shut up! Shut up you bastard! Somebody help me! I can't let her die!" Slade's voice came again, but this time it was in front of me.

"She is dead because of you. No one will help you anymore. Only I can help you now." My eyes darted up toward the voice but instead I found a mirror. In the reflection, I was holding Raven but it wasn't me. There was no red, green, and yellow uniform but rather my body was covered in dark and dull colors. Steel armor covered various parts of my body and the symbol of Slade was clearly visible on my chest. I looked just as I had when I was his apprentice. As I continued to stare horrified at the reflection, Slade appeared behind me in the mirror.

"Her blood is on your hands my apprentice." Raven's body seemed to disappear as I looked at my hands. They were both covered in her blood but one hand was clenched tightly around an object. A knife was held in my right hand, covered in blood, her blood.

"You killed her my apprentice. You are the reason she is dead and I know, deep within you, in the darkest corners of your mind, you enjoyed it." The reflection in front of me shattered as I let out a scream.

"NOOOOOOO!"

I shot up, covered in sweat, breathing heavily from a combination of terror and pain. I quickly looked down at my hands and found them clean. I was still in my uniform as my hands were still covered in my green gloves. My whole body was shaking still from what I was quickly realizing was a nightmare though it had felt completely real. There was so much possible truth to it, so much possible reality to it. It scared the hell out of me and made me feel even worse for what I had done to Raven. I had spent so much time deciding what to do, convincing myself that what I had done was absolutely the best course of action for everyone I cared about yet now that I had done it, I felt sick, disgusted with myself. Was it true? Was I really becoming more like Slade than ever before? I yelled at myself in my head. Here I was worrying about myself when I should have been worrying about Raven. Again another question popped into my head. Was I being selfish in what I had done? Was it really that I was trying to protect myself, my secrets rather than my friends that I claimed to be trying to help? Raven was such a gentle, beautiful person and few knew her as I did. She didn't deserve what I did to her. Who was I to tell someone how they should feel? Who was I to tell a person what they could desire? Who was I to take away someone's hope for happiness?

I clutched my head as I finally got my breathing under control though the simple truth still lingered at the front of my thoughts. I really was a complete and total jerk. I had been wrong, I had been so very wrong. A few words managed to escape my lips.

"Please be okay Raven. I'm so very sorry." My mind began trying to formulate some way to rectify this situation but I knew that there was a very big chance I had done irreversible damage to Raven and the relationship the two of us shared. Images of her lying on the ground bleeding flashed into my head and I felt my body shudder. She would never do that. She would never break like that. I kept repeating such thoughts in my head as I needed to believe she would be okay. If at the very least, I needed her to be okay. A sudden knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. It was a strong knock yet gentle at the same time. I knew it could only be one person, Starfire. I looked around me room, reminding myself of the absolute destruction that had overtaken my room. Again my conscience laughed at me, telling me I got what I deserved. I knew I shouldn't let Starfire see my room like this, hell I knew she shouldn't see me in the mental and emotional state I was in but another, more persistent knock at my door told me she was not going away. With everything that had happened, including the nightmare I had almost forgotten about Starfire. What should I do with her? I let out a deep breath and began walking threw the debris toward me door. I opened it only slightly, with only part of my face visible, just as Raven always did to all of us when she was disturbed. My eyes were met with the bright, smiling face of our resident alien princess. She was not dressed in her uniform but rather a light colored sundress that went well with her skin color. Her hands were folded in front of me and she floated slightly off the ground. I knew that she only floated like that when she was nervous or very, very happy. My mind started to panic. Oh God, please not now Star. Please don't do this.

"Good afternoon friend Robin. I hope you are well today." I felt myself blink at her words.

"Afternoon?" She tilted her head with slight confusion.

"Yes. It is 2 o'clock. That is two Earth hours after the noon correct?"

"You are right Star. I guess I just slept longer than I thought. What brings you to my room then?" She looked at me with her big, green eyes and I could defiantly sense the nervousness coming off of her.

"You see friend Robin, I wished for your opinion. I have a meeting with friend Speedy of the Titan's of the East and I wish to know how I look." Again I felt myself blink in surprise.

"Wait, you have a date with Speedy?" She smiled slightly.

"I believe that is what it is called on this planet. We are going to eat food together at a restaurant and there is the possibility I will receive flowers from him so I believe that would qualify as a date." I felt myself nodding my head slowly. Something wasn't exactly right here. She smiled at me again.

"Well in my opinion, you look beautiful Star. Speedy won't be able to take his eyes off of you." She visibly blushed at my words.

"Thank you friend Robin. I am very glad that you find me attractive as I am." Her voice held a trace of something though I couldn't quite place it.

"However, I feel as I have insects in my digestive system though. What if he doesn't like me? What if he doesn't find me as attractive as you do?" Her face fell and I couldn't help but feel for her. I hated seeing that look on her face. I stepped out into the hallway and placed my hand comforting on her shoulder.

"Starfire, I don't think there's any man in this universe who wouldn't like you. You're a great person." Her face brightened again.

"What is it about me that makes me a great person?" The question came fast and I could see a look of hope in her eyes. Again I got the feeling something wasn't quite what it seemed.

"Um well…your kind, gentle, caring, and always fun. I mean your pretty much perfect." I felt her arms embrace me though it wasn't one of her bone crushing hugs. This one was soft but still held intensity. I instinctively returned the hug though my brain told me not too. I could feel her warm breath next to my ear. She spoke softly with an array of emotions contained within her voice and it was then that I understood what she was doing.

"Thank you for the wonderful words Robin. I especially love hearing such praise from you." I felt myself involuntarily shudder at the feeling of her breath as she spoke.

"Is there something that you would like to tell me before I go to meet Speedy? Is there something you might wish to tell me you have never said before?" I couldn't help but tense up. She had just clearly confirmed what I knew. She was trying to make me jealous. She was trying to force me into a position where I would express my feelings toward her. All the desire for compliments, all the emotions. She wanted me to tell her not to go and to stay with me. Like Raven, she was trying an indirect way of telling me her true feelings without saying it. I slowly pushed her back and looked at her face. Her eyes were so filled with hope. I simply smiled at her.

"I can't think of anything I want to say except have fun and enjoy yourself Starfire. Speedy is a good guy. I really think you two will get along. I'll be waiting here for you to get back. I want to hear how my best friend's first date was." Her face remained smiling though I could see moisture starting to form at the edge of her eyes. Her voice barely came out.

"Thank you friend Robin but I must go now." She immediately flew away down the hallway and I could have sworn I heard her beginning to cry. I stood there in the hallway, doing my best to be stoic though I once again felt like a complete asshole. All I could do right now was second guess everything I had said was the best path. All I could do was feel guilty for making the most sweet, gentle woman I knew cry. All I could do was feel guilty for making the most intelligent, funny, and wonderful woman I had ever met cry hopelessly alone in her dark room. Two beautifully perfect woman who loved me and all I could make myself do was push them away and crush their hearts. I could hear Slade's mocking words in my head and I could feel myself clenching my fists. It was time that I called my "Father." He would agree with what I was doing. He would see my good intentions because I knew he was just like me. Batman would make me feel better, I needed him too because at this moment, I couldn't think of anything else to do.


	3. Trying to Live as Another

A/N: Third chapter up. It ended up being surprising long at 3500 words but ya know. I'm basically writing this story as I go on and honestly, I really have no idea where I'm going with it which does make writing it interesting. Robin talks with Batman and Raven and Starfire deal with the situation, one slightly more rational than the other but hey, love makes you do crazy things. I hope I wrote Batman well because it was hard for what I needed him to be but I think I did well. Any questions or comments about anything let me know. Next chapter might be written tomorrow if I have time. Peace.

To reviewers:

**evilsangle: **Thanks again for another review and I hope you like where this chapter is taking the story. Things should be rather interesting next chapter as this one was more to help set the stage. I think you'll enjoy what is to come.

**zadeon: **Well I did write Batman and Robin's conversation and made up an explanation of why Robin left though I don't go into too much depth. Yeah Batman is a badass character though I did have to make him slightly less menacing for this chapter so I hope that doesn't piss you off too much.

**Cherry Jade: **You really do write some insightful reviews. They are a pleasure to read you know that. Yeah Robin needs to get his emotions in order but that is always easier said that done especially with what is about to happen which this chapter starts to introduce. The team will get more chaotic. I don't think I could really do what happened in the dream to Raven. I have trouble killing off characters, unless its something heroic. Pointless death would be hard for me to write.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans so lets not try and sue me since I don't have anything to sue for.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 3

By: Finalitylife

It was an early afternoon in the tower and Cyborg and Beast Boy were both surprised that they had yet to see any of the other members of the team. The two sat on the couch playing video games as the two constantly taunted each other despite the fact that Cyborg won almost every single game. The two remained blissfully unaware of what was going on in the tower at this time and only smiled and continued their epic struggle for video game dominance.

In Raven's room, a small, curled up body still remained on the bed, completely covered by a blue cloak. Though she was awake, she couldn't find the energy to get up. Even if she had the energy, she knew she probably wouldn't have moved because she couldn't think of a single reason why she needed to get up ever again. She felt a few more tears forming in her eyes but quickly forced them away. She closed her eyes and chanted her mantra quietly over and over again, hoping to force away her darker emotions. She tried to focus on her happier thoughts, her thoughts of Robin before he told her he couldn't return her feelings for him. Thoughts that held such wonderful feelings that she never imagined she would feel them ever in her dark existence. She smiled slightly at the memory of Robin placing a comforting hand on her shoulder one time when she was upset at Beast Boy for breaking her mug. She smiled at the memory of his kind and gentle words. She could feel her whole body relax at these thoughts. She knew in her heart that all was not lost yet and that somehow, she would get what she needed.

Starfire too was a huddled mess in her room. Tears would not stop flowing from her bright green eyes. She buried her face into her bed as she closed her eyes. For the first time, she wished her room wasn't completely pink, wasn't so very bright. At this very moment, she wished it was a dark, dreary place to match her current feelings. Her boy, her love, had rejected her. She just didn't understand, couldn't understand why. She knew he cared about her. He spent more time with her than anyone. He always said such kind things to her, told her she was beautiful. He went out of his way more than anyone to help her understand Earth and all its customs. He comforted her when Blackfire had made her feel unwanted. He had danced with her at the prom after defeating Kitten and Fang. He had risked his life to stop her marriage to that slime creature. All these things told her that he did indeed love her so why had he not told her. Why did he tell her to have fun on her date? Why did he emphasize the words friend when he called her his best friend? Why wasn't he jealous of her going out with another boy? The young alien princess knew she didn't understand a lot but this was far beyond confusing. What could possible be the reason that he didn't return her feelings for him. Nothing had happened between them at would have made him not like her. He still treated her wonderfully despite what happened when he was being haunted by Slade. It was her arms he fell into when he had finally won his internal struggle. It was her he clung to with all is strength. It was her he had apologized to first for what happened and even bought her an adorable stuffed animal to make up for hurting her.

"So why doesn't he love me like I love him!" She screamed into her bed. It was a scream of anger, hurt, sadness, and confusion. This was not how it was supposed to be. She had seen all the Earth movies where two people fall in love and her and Robin had shown all those signs. She suddenly felt very worried for Robin. Something had to be wrong with him still, something still had to be affecting him that would prevent him from proclaiming his undying love and affection for her. If he was okay, he would have told her already. Starfire felt hundreds of ideas flying threw her head finding it impossible to grasp on to any single thought completely though she knew that Slade was linked to almost every possibility. Was the dust still controlling her boy in some way? No. That wasn't possible. Cyborg had said he was clean and Raven had been in his mind again and told them he was fine.

Suddenly a spark of jealousy hit Starfire. It was the same feeling she had when Robin was forced to go on a date with Kitten. It was the same feeling Robin should have had when she told him she was going on a date with Speedy. Raven had been if her loves mind. The most logical part of her brain told her to stop this type of thinking, that her bestest friend in the universe would never do what she was thinking but the raging emotions with her told her it was true. It was all piecing together in the young aliens embattled mind. Raven had been hanging around Robin more than usual. Raven had been in the training room with Robin while he trained when she didn't need to be. Robin was almost the only person she talked to. Raven only smiled when with him. She knew the two would read together on occasions on the roof. Raven had been in his mind! She had seen things no one else had ever seen, knew things about Robin that no one else knew. If she could have entered his mind, then maybe she could control his mind. Starfire could feel herself growl slightly. It all made perfect sense. Raven was trying to steal her boy. Her best girl friend was trying to take what was hers. The reason Robin hadn't told her he loved her was because Raven was affecting him, preventing him from telling her the truth she longed to hear because Raven wanted Robin for herself. Starfire stood up, filled with righteous fury to protect what was hers. How could Raven do this to Robin, to her. Starfire believed she was her friend but now she was betraying her in such an awful way. Starfire threw a starbolt at a picture of her smiling form hugging a blanked face Raven. The picture was incinerated causing a nearby sleeping Silkie to cry out and slink away from his angry owner. Any type of rationality had left her mind as her eyes glowed green. It was time to have a talk with her so called friend.

Robin P.O.V

As soon as Starfire left, I crept back into my room. I went into my back room, a room no one in the tower knew about. It contained all my stuff from my old life as Richard Grayson as well as those things from my time with Batman. I sat down in a chair at a desk which had a communication monitor on it. I punched in a secret code that only I knew and the screen came to life. This was my only link to the Batcave, my only link to Batman. I let out a deep sigh as I thought about my mentor, my old leader, my surrogate father. I had not spoken to him since I had formed the Titans. Our falling out had been terrible. I still remember my raging emotions and his cold, indifferent stare. That had always been our greatest difference. I was passionate and emotional while he was my polar opposite with his emotionless demeanor. We both had watched our parents die yet Bruce had chosen to close himself from all things emotional while I, as my time with the Titans had shown, could never do that. I would have been lying to myself if I didn't say I was nervous, scared even a little about talking with him. I had no idea really what I wanted to say to him let alone what he would say to me. I guess here goes nothing. I pushed a few more buttons and waited. It was only a few seconds until the screen flickered and a dark, brooding presence was seen at the other end. There was no doubt in my mind who I was staring at even before seeing the costume came into view. Even from this far way, he was still able to give off a presence that could be felt by me, that made me shiver slightly. I simply stared at the screen for a few seconds not being able to find my voice but it was Bruce who broke the silence.

"Is there something I can help you with Dick?" I cringed at the sound of my name. It had been a very long time since someone had called me anything but Robin. I laughed slightly in my head though. Bruce was straight to the point as usual. I guess some things just never change.

"Um a…Um…." I could tell he narrowed his eyes underneath his cowl as I stuttered still trying to figure out what to say.

"I am very busy right now Dick so if you don't have anything important to say to me I have to go."

"Wait!" I yelled it out in a voice that surprised even me. Bruce's expression did not change at all though I'm sure he heard the desperation in my voice. He was the world's greatest detective after all.

"Batman, Bruce, I need advice…from you." I'm sure had it been Bruce asking me that question I would have smiled in some sort of triumph that he needed my help but Bruce didn't even flinch.

"Really Dick. You need advice from me. That is surprising considering the last time we talked you told me that you didn't need me telling you what to do all the time and that you were your own man. You told me that you would be fine with me and that you were leaving to create and lead your own team. This is really surprising since you did say I was completely useless to you." Though his voice held no malice I still couldn't stop myself from cringing at my words being thrown back in my face which he had every right to do. I had said some terrible, hurtful things to my mentor and a lesser man probably would have punched me in the face for what I had said when I said it. A lesser man would have said what he had just said and hung up in my face. A lesser man would have said the words with venom and malice and continued to mock me until I grew angry only proving his point again. However, Bruce was anything but the lesser man, he was the greatest man I had ever know. I looked at him for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry for what I said Bruce. It was wrong to say those things to you." He glared at me for a few seconds and I felt myself shift nervously. A small smile formed on his face which caused my eyes to widen in shock though what he said next almost gave me a heart attack.

"I am sorry too Dick. I realize now that in the end we were both wrong and right at the same time in our own ways so I don't think either of us are truly to blame for what happened. What's done is done so lets leave it in the past." I could feel my brain freeze up completely. Did Bruce, all knowing and master of being right just admit in some significant way, he was wrong? I probably looked foolish with my mouth agape as I stared silently at the screen. I was pulled back to reality by Bruce calling my name. I shook my head to clear it and smiled at him.

"Apology accepted and now its all history." We both had small smiles on our face as we sat basking in the situation. Two years of separation and the problem is solved in a minute of rational communication. There wasn't much we couldn't accomplish when we were together and I think we were both happy to simply be able to talk again.

"So what is it that you needed advice on?" Good ole Bruce, right back to the point. I let out a deep sigh.

"Do you know how you tried to teach me the importance of keeping my emotions in check and not allowing people to get to close because it could be used against me in a potentially deadly situation?" Bruce nodded slightly.

"Well this all kind of deals with that."

"Continue."

"I knew that when I formed this team and moved in with all these people that it would be impossible to remain completely impartial to them and they have become my friends over time, people I do care about deeply."

"That was to be expected Dick. You are not like me. You need people around you, you need to feel while I am content with the solitary life that I have created." I nodded my head. It was that type of understanding that hadn't been there two years ago when I walked away.

"And exactly like you said Bruce, a mad man named Slade was able to use them against me to try and make me his apprentice, his son." I could have almost sworn I heard Bruce growl slightly at my words though whatever it was, was quickly gone. He didn't say anything which meant for me to continue speaking.

"In the end however, it was my feelings for them and their feelings for me that were able to help us survive, to help us win and that is probably why after everything is said and done, I still value our friendship so much."

"So what exactly is the problem then Dick. It seems like everything is working itself out." I let out another deep sigh.

"In the end, I accepted that my friends would always have a bulls eye on them if someone wanted to get to me. I accepted it because I need them and the fact that they understand that and it is also true for them if someone wanted to get at them." Bruce nodded in understanding.

"However, recently, a very large problem has emerged. Someone on the team has desired that our friendship become something more, someone deeper. The problem is that your words keep replaying over and over in my mind along with the situation with Slade. If I ever allowed something like that to happen, then that one person would become singled out by my enemies, by Slade. That one person would be in terrible danger, so much more than any of my other friends and I could never allow that to happen to someone I care about."

"Are we talking about the stunningly beautiful alien or the dark exotic beauty in the cloak?" My eyes widened for a second. He is the forever bachelor.

"Actually Bruce, its both of them." Even Bruce couldn't hide his shock at this though he was quickly back to his blank face.

"Impressive. So how did you plan on dealing with this?"

"Well actually I kind of already did. I told Raven rather coldly that I would never return her feelings and that she should just forget about us being together ever. I figured if she saw no hope for us she would eventually get over me and everything would be okay. I won't go into the situation with Starfire exactly but I did a similar thing. I made it clear that we were friends and absolutely nothing else." Bruce just stared at me.

"It all made sense when I came up with it. If they know I won't ever love them in return, then they would eventually get over it and eventually everything would settle down and things would be back to normal. But now, I feel…"

"Guilty." Bruce said it first before I could but he knew exactly what I was going to say. I lowered my head slightly.

"Exactly. I feel terrible for hurting them. I feel like I'm some type of monster for what I did to Raven and Starfire. I feel like I'm falling into some type of darkness because I was capable of doing what I did. I can't get the pictures of them crying out of my head for a second. Their shattered hearts are haunting me." Everything was silent for a few seconds as I waited for Bruce to say something.

"You were wrong Dick." I gritted my teeth for a second.

"But I thought I was doing the right thing." My voice came out defeated and soft.

"Look at me Dick." I tilted my head up and looked at my mentor. "What you did wrong was trying to handle the situation as someone else. You tried to be like me when you confronted the girls, cold and indifferent. You are not me Dick. You never will be me. We are two different people. I stand by what I said about emotions and people being liabilities but as I can see, that may not be the truth for you. Emotions and friends are not liabilities for you, they are your strength." I continued to simply stare at my mentor who suddenly sounded like an understanding father. Two years apart I think had made us both better people.

"So what should I do then?"

"Be yourself. Handle the situation as you would have done it have you not followed my words. These people are your friends and they deserve honesty and compassion, not you being a complete jerk." I nodded my head in understanding. It really was so obvious, an answer that I probably always knew but got messed up in all my worries and my unwillingness to be honest with my feelings with my friends.

"But I do have one question for you Dick? Are you in love with either of these girls?" The half expected that question but it still took me a few seconds to even register that it had been asked.

"I don't have an answer for that Bruce. I just don't know."

"Well Dick, in my opinion, you should really apologize to those two girls for how you acted. I think you need to figure out your emotions and I believe the answers will flow from there. Trust yourself. You're a good man and I know you will figure it all out." I couldn't help but smile at his praise. It wasn't something I heard, well ever. I liked the feeling and his words.

"Thanks for all the help…Dad." The word came off my tongue slowly as it was so completely foreign for using with him. I don't think I had ever once to his face called him Dad or Father though I'm sure he knew I felt that he was mine. His image didn't move, his face was blank and I could have sworn he got more menacing looking.

"Don't call me that Dick." He then slowly smiled. "It makes me feel old." I smiled back at him.

"I'll save it for special occasions. Well again thanks, I really needed to clear my head about all this."

"Your welcome Dick and come home soon. Alfred misses you and he is always making me feel guilty for you not visiting." I smiled as I could just imagine Alfred, probably the only person who could truly put Bruce in his place, yelling at him for being stubborn.

"I will as soon as everything is settled." Bruce nodded and the screen went black. I let out another deep sigh as I sat back in the chair and smiled. Things with Bruce were better than they had ever been before and I couldn't be happier about that. I knew he would never admit it but maybe he had softened up just a little though I knew the last word to describe him would be soft. My mind slowly drifted to my situation and again my nightmare flashed in my head. Bruce was right, I wasn't trying to handle this problem as myself. The Titans were my friends and I should have approached this situation with understanding and respect, not as an asshole. Raven most of all deserved an apology and the images from my dream only reaffirmed the importance of doing that. Not just because I felt guilty or because I was afraid of what might happen to her, but because she was a great person and deserved it. Starfire too. Suddenly I heard an explosion down the hall and immediately jumped to my feet. I was in the hallway before I knew it as a commotion could be clearly heard down the hallway, toward Raven's room.


	4. Ugly Confrontation

A/N: And here's chapter 4. Kind of subpar in my opinion. Raven and Starfire confrontation. Just having trouble writing this story, still getting the right feel for it. Of course, according to my hit counter only about a dozen and half people actually read the last chapter so I guess not too many people notice, though I did get 4 reviews for it. So I guess its time to thank those people.

**evilangle: **Hope you enjoy Star and Raven's little conversation. Its actually pretty mild so I hope that still works for you. Glad your loving what I'm doing and its always good to hear that.

**zadeon: **Glad the interaction seemed right. It was tough to write as I've never had to write Batman before but it does seem it turned out okay.

**Cherry Jade: **Actually, I think Starfire is a little crazy when it comes to Robin. I think she would be extremely, border line psychotically possessive of him because I don't think she would know what to do if he wasn't there. Starfire absolutely needs Robin around her but I guess that's just one of my stances on her. My opinion on Star changes from story to story because you can write her in a lot directions and it works. And of course I'd be lying if I said I didn't try to make readers sad on occasions with my writing though its pretty safe to assume I won't kill anyone off in this story.

**Mysti-eyed: **Ah one of my old reviewers from If Only For a Moment in the Light. Glad to hear from you again. It has been awhile. Happy you find this story interesting and thanks for letting me know that fact. Glad you liked the Robin and Bruce interaction. It was tough to write.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans so lets not try and sue me since I don't have anything to sue for.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 4

By: Finalitylife

Starfire had calmed down slightly as she flew toward Raven's room but still was consumed with jealousy, confusion, and anger. Her mind continued to scream at her to stop what she was doing, that Raven would never do this to her, would never manipulate Robin's mind to benefit herself, would never try and take what Raven knew to be hers, but she just couldn't bring herself to listen. Robin meant more to her than anything else in the entire universe. He was her happiness, her love, her life. She needed to be with him and she needed to know if Raven was the one keeping her from him. Starfire soon found herself staring at the door to Raven's room. She hesitated a second before knocking quite forcefully on the door. The steel door dented slightly at the impacts. Starfire waited a few impatient seconds before knocking again when she received no response. This time there was response. Raven's voice could barely be heard but it clearly said to please go away. Starfire for a second felt sad for the girl when she heard her voice. It sounded so gone. The feelings soon faded as Starfire found her voice.

"Raven, I must speak with you now. It is very important." Starfire waited for a response and received one.

"Not now Starfire. Please just leave me alone."

"No Raven. We must talk now. We must talk about Robin." Inside her room, Raven froze at the mention of Robin's name along with hearing what she believed to be anger coming from the usually overly friendly girl. She focused her mind slightly and used her empathic abilities to graze Starfire's mind. Dozens of extreme emotions hit her from Starfire, many she could not identify because of the chaos raging in Starfire's mind. Her mind panicked slightly as she questioned exactly what Starfire was going to say to her. She wanted to talk about Robin. Did she know about her feelings for Robin? Did Robin tell her what had happened? Raven knew very well of Starfire's extreme possessiveness of Robin. It border lined on obsession though it never had crossed into that. It was one of the reasons that Raven had for a long time kept her growing feelings toward Robin a secret. Starfire was her friend. They were closer than she ever would admit and cared deeply for her. She knew Starfire had a crush on Robin though the exact depth of her feelings for Robin was always a little unclear. Starfire loved almost all people so it was difficult to figure out if Starfire truly was in love with Robin or simply had a continuing infatuation with the person who watched most out for her. Robin and Starfire were very close friends and maybe Starfire was simply confusing two different types of love.

In the end however, Raven never did figure it out exactly as identifying true love in someone else was impossible when she barely could identify it in herself. It took a very long time for her to realize that she truly had fallen for her leader, even longer for her to come to terms with it, and even longer for her to try and tell him despite Starfire's presence. Raven never wanted to hurt Starfire but she couldn't deny her own feelings within her. They had become too strong for her to continue hiding and that is why she created the bond between herself and Robin after she was in his mind. She needed to unleash her emotions, she needed Robin to know how she felt, what she felt toward him. She desired Robin, she needed him, she loved him so very much and despite an angry and possibly dangerous superpowered alien outside her door, she had almost no regrets. Her only regret was secretly creating the bond to Robin. It had been her only choice at the time to tell him her feelings but she still felt guilty about interfering with Robin's mind without his knowledge. It was the one thing she felt bad about. Raven slowly lifted herself up from her position on her bed and adjusted her cloak so that it covered her along with her hood up. She waved her hand slightly and the door opened. It was time to face whatever was to come.

Starfire stood in the doorway with a blank face and clenched fists. However, her eyes were red, a sign she had been crying. She was still dressed in her dress rather than her uniform and hovered slightly above the ground. Raven said nothing as Starfire floated into the dark room, shutting the door behind her. Raven sat quietly on the edge of her bed, peering out from underneath her hood, waiting for Starfire to say something. However, the alien only glared at the smaller girl in front of her. For one of the first times in her life, Raven couldn't stand the silence and spoke.

"So is their something you wanted to talk to me about or did you come for a staring contest?" Raven didn't mean to sound dismissive and sarcastic but that was just how she normally was. It was more out of habit than anything. Starfire's eyes narrowed at the comment.

"Yes friend Raven, there is something that I wanted to talk to you about." Starfire emphasized the word friend, spitting it out as if it disgusted her to say it.

"I would very much like to ask you a question and I do hope very much that you have a response for me." Starfire was exceedingly calm as she spoke and Starfire was never calm. Raven knew this situation was going to be hard to deal with.

"Ask away."

"I would like to know friend Raven, if you are trying to steal Robin away from me, just like Kitten once tried." The question had been asked though for a brief second Raven was slightly upset at being compared to that blonde idiot Kitten. She contemplated how to respond but Starfire continued speaking.

"I would like you to tell me that you are not trying to take from me the boy I love, that I am completely in misunderstanding the situation and that you are innocent of trying to take what is mine." Raven looked down for second and spoke without even realizing what she was saying. Her voice came out very quiet, barely audible.

"He's not yours." Again Starfire's eyes narrowed.

"What was that you said?" Raven looked up, matching Starfire's glare.

"I said that Robin isn't yours. He is not some possession of yours that you own. He is a free willed person who doesn't belong to anyone, least of all you." There was a challenging tone to Raven's words. She couldn't help it. Starfire was getting to her though she tried not to let it bother her. Her better judgment was telling her to speak cautiously but her heart was outraged at Starfire's possessiveness of the same man she cared so deeply for. Starfire seemed taken back by Raven's words but she quickly regained her composure, though it was slowly slipping away to her emotions.

"So you are trying to steal him from me." Raven stood up from her bed, peering up at the much taller girl in front of her.

"I can't steal something that doesn't belong to you in the first place." Raven couldn't believe she was being so bold but she really couldn't believe such words were coming from the kind hearted alien in front of her.

"I love Robin and I know he loves me. We are supposed to be together. The brave prince is supposed to be with the princess, not the ugly witch." A nearby statue cracked. Raven broke eye contact with Starfire and looked at the ground in slight shame. There was truth to Starfire's words. Raven knew she wasn't as attractive as Starfire. In fact she agreed with Starfire. She was ugly. Ghostly skin, oversized eyes, strange colored hair. She wasn't physically attractive and she had always known this. Also, Robin and Starfire was the typical romance everyone expected. Brave, handsome hero falling for the beautiful princess and here she was, basically a real witch, standing in the way. Raven couldn't look at Starfire as she continued to struggle with her self doubt, something she always had to deal with. Starfire looked down at her friend with a small bit of satisfaction.

"I am almost positive that you have cast some type of spell on Robin to keep him from being with me. That is what a witch would do when she can not have what she wants." A stab of guilt hit Raven. She had created a bond to try and be with Robin. There again was truth to Starfire's words though she did not know that this time. Raven struggled with all her guilt and doubts but finally settled on allowing her emotions to do her talking, something she rarely did.

"You don't even care how I feel Starfire. You don't even care that I love Robin with all my heart." Raven looked up at Starfire who noticed tears starting to form in her eyes. Starfire was shocked by Raven's words and her emotional state.

"All you care about is yourself and your own feelings. Just because you love Robin doesn't mean that I can't. My emotions are just as valid as your Starfire, not something to be tossed aside because you think I shouldn't have them for Robin. Even if Robin one day tells you he loves you and not me, I will never stop loving him ever. And until the day Robin tells someone else that he is in love with them, I won't stop trying to be with him because I know in my heart, that is what I have to do." Something large exploded behind Raven as tears that had already been falling intensified. The explosion was large as it was the result of so many pent up emotions. Raven had gained so much control over her emotions but she needed release and there was a lot to release. Starfire watched as part of the wall exploded and some piece of debris cracked into the back of Raven's head. The impact of something hard against bone echoed in the room. Raven immediately collapsed to the ground in an unconscious heap. Completely forgetting about everything that was happening before, Starfire screamed out her friend's name and was immediately at her friend's side pulling her into an embrace.

"Raven, please wake up. Please be okay. I am sorry. I am truly sorry." All of Starfire's anger and jealousy disappeared for the time being as she felt a small spot of blood on the back of Raven's head. Right now, all that mattered was helping Raven. Everything else could be resolved later when she was better. Starfire still didn't feel much guilt for some of the things she had said to Raven though she did feel guilty her actions led to Raven getting hurt. She scooped up her tiny friend intent on getting her to the infirmary. She opened the door only to meet eye to mask with Robin who had a concerned look on his face.

"What the hell happened?" Robin could feel his heart stop as he stared at the small bundle in Starfire's arms that was Raven.

"I will explain later Robin. We must get Raven medical help." Robin nodded.

"Follow me." Robin sprinted down the hallway with Starfire lying behind her carrying Raven. Robin opened up his communicator and contacted Cyborg who also had a concerned look on his face.

"Yo Rob. Did you just hear some type of explosion?"

"Yes Cy. Get down to the infirmary now. Raven is hurt. She needs your help." Cyborg's one human eye widened but quickly formed into a determined stare.

"I'll meet you guys there," and with that he was gone. Robin continued running but couldn't get his mind off of Raven. Somehow, he knew that whatever had happened to her, it was his fault. Raven was hurt because of what he had done, he just knew it. Finally they arrived at the infirmary.

"Star, put her on the bed over there." Starfire blankly nodded and placed Raven on the bed. Cyborg came in a few seconds later and quickly walked to Raven's side.

"Alright what's the situation people." Robin looked over at Starfire who had a strange look on her face.

"Raven and I were arguing and her emotions caused something to blow up. I believe something struck her in the back of the head." Robin knew exactly what the two had probably been arguing about though how Starfire had even known anything about Raven was a mystery. Cyborg nodded and pulled off Raven's cloak to make it easier for him to work. Robin stared at the tiny, pale girl who was now only in her leotard. She looked so fragile, so vulnerable right now as Cyborg started hooking up some machines. He hovered over her for a few minutes as Starfire and Robin looked on. It didn't take long for Beast Boy to show up with the same concerned look on his face as everyone else though he was unusually quiet. Eventually Cyborg let out a sigh of relief.

"I think she has a concussion but that's it. Her skull isn't cracked and I can't find any other injuries so she should be fine though she may be out for awhile and will wake up with one hell of a headache." Everyone let out sighs of relief themselves. She was going to be okay. However both Robin and Starfire were thinking the same thing. Would everything be all right in the end? Cyborg eyed Starfire slightly suspiciously. What possibly could have caused Starfire to be arguing with Raven. Those two never argued. Something was going on and he intended to find out. This team meant everything to him and he would not let it fall apart. Beast Boy simply stood there not really sure what was going on though he was simply happy that Raven would be alright. The entire room was silent except for the beeping of a single machine. Everyone but Beast Boy knew something was still to come.


	5. Its Not Supposed to be Easy

A/N: Here's the fifth chapter. I'm really having trouble with this story. I feel like its getting away from me and I can't really seem to find my place with it and this is pretty much the first time that's ever happened since I started writing. I don't know. It just may take me some time to get the next chapter out but of course it could be out tomorrow. It just matters when I get it together. I probably should think positive but then that really wouldn't be my style. Also, my other story Finding Hope Again is kind of taking up some of my time so things are going slower. Oh well. That's it. Peace.

And to my reviewers:

**evilsangle: **Yeah I'd say I really could have made Starfire a lot angrier and a lot more cruel but I guess that would kind of move too far away from her true character that she is. She's not evil but maybe it would be fun to write an evil Starfire.

**mysti-eyed: **Yeah I'm trying to make you feel just a bit for Starfire but more leaning toward Raven being the truer victim in all of this and overly possessive might be an understatement for her. Also, I can't promise that things will work out for the best but things should work out.

**Cherry Jade: **I think that if Robin and Starfire were together, she would be that psychotic girlfriend who had to be with him every minute and wouldn't let him have any friends who were girls outside her. Starfire was being quite mean but she could have been far worse or even violent though I thought that would be too far out of character for her. She does have a crazy obsession with Robin but I don't she's evil like that. Again thanks for the compliments, I do appreciate them.

**MsLessa: **Ah a new reviewer. Always good to see one of those. I'm glad you are enjoying the story and like what I'm doing with it in each chapter. I'm also glad you like what Raven said about Robin because it is very true. Have to wait still to see who he chooses because its not hear in this chapter. Heck I haven't even decided who he'll choose but your opinion for it is noted.

**zadeon: **I agree with you completely. Good but not great and I like being great. This particular story is just giving me trouble. Hope this chapter goes better. Still not sure how I feel about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans so lets not try and sue me since I don't have anything to sue for.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 5

By: Finalitylife

Cyborg finished up with Raven who still remained unconscious though she was in no danger. Beast Boy had left the room to do god knows what saying he didn't like seeing Raven like she was but Starfire and Robin remained still though they stood about as far apart as they could get. Cyborg knew it was about time to get some answers and figured he would start with Robin.

"Hey Rob, could I talk to you about something outside. Its pretty important." Robin hesitated for a second before answering before reluctantly nodding. Starfire's voice came out next.

"I shall watch Raven while you two talk. It is the least I can do for your injured friend." Both boys easily picked up the use of your instead of our when she spoke. This really made Cyborg wonder about what they were arguing about and easily affirmed Robin's suspicion that in fact in had been him they had fought over. It really made him feel worse and worse. The two young men left the infirmary as Starfire continued to stand where she was staring at Raven's prone form with a blank expression.

Cyborg stared down at Robin who stared nervously at the ground. It was very unlike the normally confident and fearless leader he knew him to be.

"Alright Robin, I figured you might have an explanation about what is going on because by the way you are acting, you are definitely involved in what's going on." Robin did not answer immediately though he let out a deep sigh. He looked up at Cyborg, meeting the larger man's concerned gaze.

"Well I guess your entitled to hear this because I know how much of a bigger brother you are to those two girls in there. Time for me to tell you a story of how I was a complete idiot." Cyborg listened intently to Robin as he detailed what had been going on with Raven, Starfire, and Robin as of late though Robin left out a few details such as then nature or Raven's dreams as well as many of the details of his conversation with Batman. Cyborg felt himself being quite shocked, then rather angry at the smaller boy standing in front of him, then extremely contemplative about the situation. Cyborg still mildly wanted to slap Robin upside the head but couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew that despite Robin making a completely wrong decision, he knew he had only had the best of intentions in his mind when he went about it. He knew Robin had thought he was doing the right thing though it was made blatantly clear to him not that long ago that he indeed had followed the wrong path in dealing with the two girls affections. Cyborg stood quietly thinking for a few minutes as Robin finished up his story, explaining how he really had no idea how Starfire even knew about Raven and had no idea what had transpired in Raven's room only a half an hour ago.

"Well Robin, if you don't mind me say, this is one really messed up situation that you managed to help create. I'd say this ranks up there with your decision to be Red X in the idiot category." Robin nodded his head.

"I know Cy, I know."

"So do you plan on following Batman's advice on how to fix what you might have broken?" Again Robin nodded.

"Yeah Cy. I plan on sitting down and talking with both of them and being completely straight forward. They deserve for me to be honest with them, not me trying to avoid the real heart of everything." Cyborg smiled.

"Its good to hear you finally making some damn sense." Robin couldn't help but smile at the larger man in front of him. It was a good thing to have friends like him. Cyborg seemed to pause for a second before asking a question.

"If you don't mind me asking Rob, are you actually in love with either of them?" Robin's smile quickly melted away at the question. This was the question that he really didn't want to face though he knew that this choice needed to be made before he really could talk to the two girls. He managed to shake his head.

"Just like I told Batman, I just don't know. Its such a difficult thing to find an answer to."

"Remember Rob, we're superheroes. Nothing in our lives is easy. I mean we can't make breakfast without nearly burning down the tower so why the hell would this be easy." The two boys cuckled slightly.

"True, so very true. Though I believe its you and Beast Boy who almost burn down the tower every morning in your insane race to finish cooking first." Cyborg suddenly glared down at the still laughing Robin. Robin realized this quickly and stopped smiling. The two locked glares for second before Robin smiled.

"Alright, alright, its not you its Beast Boy that almost burns down the tower." Cyborg nodded his head in triumph.

"That's better because we all know I'm the greatest cook in the universe." Again the two young men chuckled. Cyborg reached out and placed his hand on Robin's shoulder.

"Well Robin, I'm going to leave this situation in your hopefully capable hands. The only way for this to be settled is for you to talk it out with Starfire and Raven. Normally, I would kick anyone's ass who broke the heart of either of them but I know that it may have to be done for this chaos to be resolved. I trust you to do the right thing Robin." Robin smiled at Cyborg.

"Thanks man. I'm glad I have your trust in all this." Cyborg removed his hand and began to walk down the hallway.

"Well I'm going to go kick Beast Boy butt in some video games so I'll talk to you later." He stopped suddenly and turned around for a second.

"Oh by the way Rob, regardless of what happens, no kissing until the second date, ya hear me." Cyborg gave Robin a pretty good death glare which did manage to make Robin shift nervously a little.

"Got it Cyborg." Cybord nodded and walked away whistling some happy tune. Robin leaned against the wall, slumping over slightly. Cyborg had helped to make him feel a little better but the question he could not answer still weighed heavily on his mind along with a few other questions about exactly what had happened between Starfire and Raven. I stood up after a few minutes deciding he should talk to Starfire and find out her perspective on the event in question. He slowly walked back into the infirmary, no rush to get there. When he walked in he saw Starfire had not moved and still stood in her spot with her hands folded in front of her. She turned to look at Robin when she entered but quickly looked back at the ground. Robin could tell she was ashamed of something. He slowly walked past her and looked at Raven who still lied in the hospital bed unmoving. He let out a deep sigh and turned to Starfire.

"Starfire." She looked up slowly but would not meet where his eyes would have been though she did speak though quietly.

"Yes Robin." She spoke hesitantly as if she expected to be yelled at. Robin knew he would have to speak carefully with her.

"I would like to know what happened between you and Raven. I would like to know exactly what happened after we last talked." Starfire nodded slowly and began speaking. Robin listened carefully though did not show any emotions as she spoke. He was surprised when she explained how she had come to the conclusion that Raven cared for Robin and was even more shocked by her behavior following that. Robin knew she was possessive, very possessive but this was just crazy. Robin had always been weary of this particular characteristic of hers, knowing that it might be her only bad quality though it was an extreme one. It was just amazing how it had made her turn against Raven who was one of her best friends, so quickly and the things she had said to Raven. Robin never knew she could be cruel in anyway and yet she had been. He himself felt guilty because he was responsible for this in a very direct way. He knew Starfire would have been very hurt after their last conversation and should have been there to help her deal with it, should have made an effort to be clear with her on what was going on. Starfire eventually finished and Robin could see tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm very disappointed in you Starfire." She again looked at the ground.

"As you should be Robin. I have behaved most poorly and Raven was hurt because of it. The entire time I have stood here I have calmed down and realized how terrible I had been and I am sorry." Robin studied Starfire carefully, looking for any sign that she wasn't being sincere but could not find anything. She was truly sorry for what she had done.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to Starfire." Again slowly nodded.

"Yes. I must apologize to Raven though I doubt it will matter. She will not want to be my friend anymore after how I behaved toward her and despite everything, I am still upset at her for loving you and do not know myself if I want to be her friend." Robin cringed on the inside. A friendship probably had been destroyed because of all of this. A silence formed in the room as Robin thought carefully. He too owed Raven an apology. She had suffered the most in all of this.

"I think you should leave Starfire. I'll wait with Raven until she wakes up. I'm pretty sure she won't want to see you when she wakes up." Starfire nodded and floated out of the room leaving Robin with an unconscious Raven. He grabbed a chair and sat down next to her bed. He studied her small, prone form. Bruce had been right, she was an exotic beauty. Both Starfire and Raven were beautiful young women though if you described Starfire as an angel with her stunning beauty, then one would describe Raven as a dark angel, no less beautiful, but in a darker, quieter way. Robin yelled at himself when he found himself studying her body. What kind of person checks out an unconscious friend. Of course in a way he had already seen her without any clothes on. The dreams he had seen from her were rather vivid and detailed and clothes weren't one of the things present. Robin felt himself blush slightly as a few choice images flashed in his head. He shook his head trying to clear it as once again focuses on his problem at hand. What exactly were his feelings on all of this, what were his feelings toward these two girls.

He thought of Starfire. He had not been lying when he told her all those things when she was trying to make him jealous earlier today and he would be lying to himself if he said he didn't have some type of feelings toward that girl. But could it really be called love? That he didn't know. He looked at Raven's peaceful face and smiled. It wasn't very often he saw her being so peaceful. What did he feel about Raven? She was like Starfire in a lot of ways. She was kind, gentle, and caring though it wasn't as obvious as with Starfire. Of course in other ways she was completely different than Starfire. Starfire wasn't dumb but rather naïve. Raven on the other hand rarely needed things explained to her and could carry on an intelligent conversation on numerous fascinating topics. She was funny and didn't find it necessary to try and fill silence with pointless chatter. He highly respected the dark bird. However, just like with Starfire, was it love? Again he didn't know. He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by movement from Raven. He watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open, though they didn't seem to focus on anything right away. She seemed to grimace slightly, probably because of the headache that had to be there. Eventually she seemed to take notice of the fact that there was a person sitting next to her and her eyes slowly drifted over to Robin. He wasn't sure how she would react to seeing him because she hadn't seen him since all this started, since he had tried to keep her away from him to protect her, since he had made terrible mistakes.

"Welcome back to the world of the living Raven." Robin smiled at her but Raven had no expression. She only stared at him with her large, amethyst eyes. Nothing was said for a little bit.

"I guess I owe you an apology and an explanation Raven. First I want to apology to everything I said to you. It wasn't right. You see I tried to deal with this situation the wrong way and everything just went from bad to worse and then there was Starfire and I dealt with that wrong and then things got even worse and then you two were fighting and…." Robin was cut off by Raven.

"Robin your rambling is not helping my headache." Robin could see Raven giving him the smallest of smiles, just enough to let him know she was joking with him.

"You can explain to me later Robin when I'm more aware." Robin smiled at her.

"Alright Raven. I think I can do that for you."

"I think I need more rest so I'm going back to sleep Robin." Robin nodded with a smile. Raven closer her eyes as Robin got up to leave. He was a few steps away when Raven called out his name. He stopped and turned around.

"Robin, I do have one question for you. Could it ever be possible for the handsome prince to love the ugly witch." Robin felt his heart stop. Did Raven really believe what Starfire had said to her.

"Raven, I don't think you're a witch and I most definitely don't think your ugly." The whole time she hadn't opened her eyes nor moved but Robin could see the faintest of smiles on her face from his words.

"Rest well Raven," and with that Robin left.


	6. Understanding Is a Must

A/N: This took me awhile and was hard to write. So sorry to all those who have been waiting for it. This story isn't done though it may seem a little like it with this chapter. Some might not like this chapter at all but I think it works, but of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Lets hope those opinions are positive. This chapter doesn't really address Starfire's and Raven's relationship but that will be discussed eventually. If everyone thinks the characters are a little strange my reasoning is that Raven is the most mature, Starfire is too good of a person to keep behaving as she is, and Robin I don't think could stay mad at Starfire. I think that stays in tune with the characters true essences. That's it.

And to my reviewers:

**Cherry Jade: **In this chapter, I try to give some explanation to Starfire's unreasonable possessiveness because things like that usually have something behind it. Also, keep in mind that Robin doesn't have to put up with her possessiveness if he doesn't want to because if Robin said something about it, Starfire would most likely listen. Yeah the Cyborg and Robin relationship is always fun to write because the two play off each other well because despite so many similarities, they have so many differences to balance that fact out. I'm curious to see how you receive this chapter because it is a bit different so lets hope you like it.

**zadeon: **Yeah predictability does become a problem but I guess it happens when you really limit your writing to a very specific type like I'm doing right now with pairings. Oh wellz, hope you enjoy the new chapter.

**evilangle: **Glad you are enjoying this story still. Yeah I figure you'll always be asking for me to update even though you know that I will no matter what.

**The Goth Witch: **I'm glad you found my story and you are exactly right. Sometimes its just hard to get ideas on paper the way we want them. Thanks for the understanding and hope you enjoy the chapter.

**mysti-eyed: **Keep in mind that she still was very emotional and not thinking calmly so

you never know what she'll say when she finally calms down and maybe finally thinks clearly. Well anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans so lets not try and sue me since I don't have anything to sue for.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 6

By: Finalitylife

Robin walked toward the main room, hearing the sounds of Cyborg and Beast Boy playing video games quite heatedly. Robin smiled to himself. At least he knew that his friends would stand by him no matter what happened with this particular situation. As he walked in, the two of them paid no notice of him though Starfire who was sitting in the kitchen instantly noticed his arrival. She had a glum look on her face as she feasted on some type of pudding concoction which probably had some name like Pudding of Guilt. Robin could feel her eyes on him as he walked over to the sink to get himself a glass of water. Eventually she spoke.

"How was your talking with Raven?" Robin easily noticed the slight resentment in Starfire's voice when she said Raven's name. Robin gritted his teeth as he turned to Starfire.

"Starfire, this has got to stop." The sternness of Robin's voice even surprised himself. Starfire's looked down, not wanting to look at Robin who was probably going to yell at her.

"I am sorry Robin." Her voice was tiny. She sounded more like a small child than a extraordinarily powerful alien princess. Robin's glare softened a little.

"I know you are sorry Star but you can't keep behaving like this. Its just not you, its ugly." Starfire did not respond.

"You are a kind, beautiful person Starfire and if you and me are to ever be together as you want to be, then you have to stop behaving like this. Even if we were together, Raven would always be a very close and cherished friend to me. No matter what might happen between us, that will never change and if you can't deal with that, then there is something terribly wrong with you." Starfire continued to look down at the ground with her arms wrapped around herself. Eventually Robin walked toward her and tilted her head up so that she was looking at his face. Robin could see the small bit of moisture building in the corner of her lovely, green eyes. Robin couldn't help but get lost in those eyes and hated the fact that he was making her cry again yet he knew this needed to be settled.

"Star, I need to know if you understand me because I can't handle you being so possessive all the time. I can't handle you holding resentment for Raven." Starfire responded.

"I understand Robin but I can't help it. Back when I lived on Tamaran, any time that I ever encountered a boy that I felt that maybe could be more than just a friend to me, my sister Blackfire would steal them from me. She would make sure that they would fall in love with her and then she would throw them away. Then they would want nothing to do with me because I was the sister of the girl who broke their hearts. Other times she would spread rumors about me so guys would not want to be around me anymore. I lost so many because of my sister but none have I ever cared for as much as you Robin. None before have I loved as much as I love you. I just don't want to lose you." Robin stared at the beautiful young woman in front of him as the tears started falling. He gently wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed and the embrace was quickly returned.

"No matter what happens Starfire, you won't ever lose me because in the end we will always be at the very least friends. I'll always be there to talk to you and I'll always do my best to help you." Starfire still was crying but she smiled a little at Robin's words. He hadn't said he loved her but at least she knew he would always be there. It eased her mind just a little. The two stood there relaxing in the moment. Robin eventually became aware again of his surroundings and noticed two other sets of eyes on him and Starfire. Both Beast Boy and Cyborg had goofy grins on their faces as they watched the two's interaction. Robin couldn't help but smile.

"Did I ever tell you two just how much I love all the privacy I get in this place?" They only grinned wider. It was Beast Boy who responded.

"Hey, we were just here having a civilized video game competition. Its not our fault you chose to have your moment in here and you were talking rather loudly." Robin pulled away from Starfire.

"Yeah I guess your right. Anyways, I'm going to go work out. You two behave yourself." Starfire looked upon Robin with a small smile as he walked away despite a still unknown future.

Robin had worked out for well over three hours and eventually found himself sweaty and tired. He knew he needed a shower so he headed back to his room. The entire time he had been working out he had been thinking about Starfire and Raven. He thought about how right it felt when he was holding Starfire earlier as she cried and he thought about all he still had to talk about with Raven. He was not looking forward to trying to explain to her what he had been trying to do with her though he was certain that Raven would agree one hundred percent that he had been a complete idiot. Eventually he made it back to his room and into the shower. Robin normally did not take long showers but this one was an exception. The warm water helped sooth his tired muscles as well as his confused mind. By the time he finally got out of the shower, his hands were incredibly pruny and he even felt more tired than before. He barely had the energy to put on some sleeping clothes before he collapsed into his bed, still not even caring that his room was still absolutely destroyed.

Robin wasn't even sure when he had gone to bed though he knew it wasn't that late and he even had less of an idea of what time it was when he was awoken by a quiet knock at his door. Rising groggily to his feet, he stumbled toward the door. He instantly woke up when he found the small form of Raven standing there, covered up completely in her cloak. Robin immediately went with his concerned side.

"Raven, are you sure you should be up yet? Maybe you should still be resting or at the very least we should have Cyborg look at you again or…" She surprised me when her hand came up and was placed over my mouth.

"Please stop rambling Robin. I am perfectly fine. You know that I heal much faster than normal people." Robin only nodded as the hand was still over his mouth though it left after nodding.

"So I guess you came here so that we could talk about the most recent events between you, me, and Starfire."

"You always are quite the detective aren't you Robin." The voice was sarcastic but had a good natured tone to it.

"They don't call me the boy wonder for nothing." I couldn't tell with her hood up but I was sure she was smiling just like me.

"May I come in?" Robin nodded and stepped aside so Raven could enter.

"And not that I don't enjoy the view but could you put a shirt on Robin. This conversation is too important for me to be staring at your chest the whole time." Robin hadn't even realized he wasn't wearing a shirt but he was even more amazed by what Raven had just said.

"Um did you just make a joke?" She didn't turn around to respond though she did speak in her monotone voice.

"No so just please do what I asked." All Robin could do was nod as Raven sat quietly on his bed. He walked over to where the last few pieces of his dresser clung together at pulled out a white T-shirt and slid it on. Robin walked over and sat on the bed a few feet from Raven.

"So um I guess you want an explanation for everything that happened. I guess I want to start out and tell you that I never mentioned anything that had happened between me and you to Starfire. She just kind of jumped to this amazing conclusion…." Raven waved her hand to silence me.

"I know you wouldn't say anything Robin. I trust you." I smiled. It was nice to hear such words from Raven.

"Alright then I guess time to explain to you what exactly happened." Raven lowered her hood and looked at Robin's face.

"Actually Robin, I have a better idea. With your permission, I would like to enter somewhat into your mind again. I think it would be best if I saw exactly what drove you to do what you did, felt exactly what you felt. I think it would make it easier for me to understand and maybe, just maybe, I won't have the desire to slap you a few times." Robin pondered what Raven had said for a few moments and then slowly nodded.

"Alright Raven. What do you need me to do?" She gave me a small smile.

"All you need to do is close your eyes and focus on this situation. The thoughts I need to see will float to the surface of your consciousness and I'll be able to see them." Again Robin nodded and closed his eyes. He thought back to how he first started thinking of a solution to both of Starfire's and Raven's affections. He steadied his breathing as he felt Raven's familiar presence brush gently up against his mind. It felt nice, warm. His mind involuntarily flashed to one of Raven's fantasies and he felt himself blush slightly. He could hear Raven speak into his mind.

"Please could you not think about that right now. I need to concentrate." Robin tried harder to focus himself and found the warm feeling increase slightly. He felt flashes of memory in his head. The hours he used to sit trying to figure out how to best protect his friends by keeping them away, what was going through his mind when he approached Raven and broke her heart, the guilt he felt afterwards, the horrifying nightmare with Slade and Raven in it, and his realization of how he was wrong after speaking with Batman. Robin easily noticed that never once did Raven pull anything out that revealed his or Batman's identity and also that she did not pull out any scenes that were strictly involving himself and Starfire. Just as what happened between me and Raven remained only between us, she let what occurred between me and Starfire to only us. Raven respected other people's privacy greatly and expected the same treatment in return. After a few minutes, Robin felt Raven pull back from his mind, the warmth leaving him. Robin slowly opened his eyes which settled on the blank face of Raven who seemed like she was staring directly into his soul and in reality, she had just done that a few seconds ago.

"You really are an idiot Robin. A good intentioned, caring idiot but one enormous idiot nonetheless." All Robin did was nod in agreement. A silence settled in between us.

"You know you may have some similarities to Slade but you never will be him." Robin's eyes locked on Raven's whose had a concerned look in them.

"You're talking about the nightmare aren't you?" Raven nodded.

"Slade is a monster who only cares about himself. You, despite being a bit stupid and insensitive at times, always are trying to do the right thing for those around you. It is that fact that will always separate you from Slade. You care incredibly much about others and that will always be there to help you be who you should be." Robin couldn't help but smile at the soft, gentle words of Raven. Even after every thing he had done to her, she still made the effort to make him feel better.

"Why are you being so nice to me after I was such a jerk?" Raven gave him the smallest of smiles.

"Because like you, I care about those around me and am forgiving. Also it would just be hypocritical for me to fantasize about you if I'm mad at you." Robin blushed and looked down at Raven who still had that small smile on her face.

"How is it that the most emotionally reclusive of us is the only one who is not a prude?" Robin couldn't help but laugh even though he tried hard to stifle it. He managed to stop it a little so that it came out more as a few snorts rather than a full out laugh. Raven raised an eyebrow as Robin continued to try and stop from laughing. She spoke in her best monotone voice.

"I'm not sure if you are laughing or choking right now." Robin laughed harder and felt like his head would explode if he didn't let himself laugh. He finally relented and started laughing completely out loud as Raven looked on.

"Just when I think I have you figured out Raven. I mean I knew you had such a great sarcastic wit but making borderline dirty jokes. I mean who would have seen that coming." Raven smiled.

"Well that's a good thing then because I know how much you love mysteries." Robin stopped suddenly at hearing the word love again. Raven could feel his nervousness spike.

"Don't get worked up Robin. I know that you aren't in love with me." Robin was completely shocked when those words came out of her mouth so easily, without hesitation.

"Raven…." Raven however, cut him off.

"I don't need an explanation Robin. I saw and felt everything that happened to you. I know two very important facts. I know that you aren't in love with me and I know that you have greater feelings toward Starfire than you do toward me." Robin could only stare at her as the slightest bit of moisture crept into her beautiful, amethyst eyes though her face remained calm. Again Robin tried to talk but Raven did not give him the opportunity.

"Its okay Robin. I can't control how you feel. You can barely control how you feel. What is, is what it is. It was not my choice to fall in love with you Robin but it happened. I fell hard and I know without a shadow of doubt in my heart that I am deeply and madly in love with you. It is because I love you so much that I can't be mad at you for any of this. It is because I love you that I can't be upset about how you feel no matter how much I don't like it. You've had feelings for Starfire for a long time, I know this. Only recently have you started having feelings for me, coinciding with when I created that bond between us. However, I can feel that the feelings you have toward me are not as high as the ones you have for Starfire." Tears started falling from Raven's eyes even though she fought to keep her composure.

"I love you Robin, but I love you enough to let you go." Robin couldn't help himself but pulled Raven into his arms as she started fully crying. She cried into his chest with her small arms wrapped around him. He could think of nothing to say because he knew there was nothing he could say right now. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that what Raven had said was true. Hearing it from her seemed to confirm what he had felt when he held Starfire earlier. All he knew he could do was sit there and hold her as she cried, doing the best to console her as her friend, her warm, caring friend.

Raven cried for so many reasons. She cried for her broken heart, she cried because Robin did not love her as she did him, she cried because this could be the last time that Robin would ever hold her like this. However, just as when Robin had confronted her in her room, there was still something she held on to. She knew that Robin had deeper feelings for Starfire than her but Raven was sure of one other thing. She knew that the feelings Robin had were not love, he was not in love with Starfire. However, just as Raven had said, she loved Robin enough to let him go, she loved him enough to give him the opportunity to see if Starfire was who he truly wished to give his heart to. Raven thought back to what she had said to Starfire and it was still so very true. Until Robin told someone else that he loved them, Raven would not stop trying to be with him. There was a chance Robin's feelings would never develop into true love toward Starfire and Raven was willing to wait and see and would be there if Robin needed her.


	7. Most Pleasant Surprises

1A/N: And I'm sure everyone is going, why should I care. Yeah it has been awhile for this story but as I constantly say, this story has been a battle. Well at least I was still writing something so check out the other story I've been writing along with the epilogue to Afraid to Lose Again, that is if you care. If not, and still somehow manage to not want to kill me for the long delay, the enjoy the chapter. If you want to kill me, well then, bring it on. This chapter tone is a little lighter and has some interesting Rob/Rae interaction at the beginning. This chapter definitely reads a little different than the last few but that's probably because I took so long in between writing the chapters and the previous ones. Well that's it. Peace. Author notes at end.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 7

By: Finalitylife

Robin awoke for the second time in as many times of sleeping, having no idea how long he had slept for. All that really mattered in his still very tired mind was that he was incredibly comfortable in the position he was in. He felt something very soft and very warm curled up in his arms, held tightly to his chest. His incredibly weary mind was slowly starting to realize what it or who for that matter was lying so comfortably and so closely to his body. He shifted to move slightly only to brush his hand across a what he embarrassingly realized was the very perky chest of the girl who had slept in his bed, who he had held in his arms until she had cried herself to sleep, until they both had fallen asleep. She was turned facing him and his inadvertent touch elicited a soft moan from the sleeping young woman. Robin closed his eyes as she shifted against him, moving her body against the entire length of his own body, him trying to think nonsexual thoughts but unable to repress the incredible feelings her movements were giving him. His mind once again started thinking about the fantasies he had seen from Raven when they still had the bond which only fueled the complicated feelings and thoughts that were racing through out his entire body.

"Robin..." Her eyes never once opened, his name barely heard, but she had said it with such sensuality, with such raw sexuality, that he found his more basic instincts scrambling toward the surface, trying to take control of this slowly getting out of control situation. He tried to force his body to operate, tried to will his arms to move to gently shake awake the dark girl lying next to him who he was starting to realize was probably dreaming, and that dream was not entirely wholesome, he had seen them, he knew. Robin felt his eyes widen in shock as Raven's head moved forward slowly in some type of dreamlike trance and he felt his mind shut down completely as his eyes went from wide to rolling back into his head as Raven began to gently kiss, lick, and suck on the side of his neck which she somehow knew was one of his most sensitive spots. He barely stifled a groan from his own body at this action, proof that he was still in somewhat of control, and when he felt increasing pleasure as she rubbed tightly up against his body again, he knew this needed to end now before he lost control himself. He gently pushed Raven away and shook her lightly just as he had intended to do when this all started, finally gaining enough sense to stop all this. It took a few shakes before Raven's large, beautiful eyes opened. They were still slightly red from all the crying she had done before but there seemed to be a strong look of concern in her eyes.

"What's wrong Robin?" She must have been wondering why she had been awoken up so abruptly, thinking something was wrong. Robin responded with the first thing that came to mind.

"You were dreaming Raven and I had to wake you up." His words somehow came out hastily and hesitantly at exactly the same time which was no small feat, well for any verbally communicating creature, but the sensations that were still shooting through his mind and body had put Robin in a very interesting place. Raven seemed to ponder the words for a second before her eyes widened and her face flashed bright red. She starting speaking quickly, a nervousness that Robin never associated with the often composed young woman, well composed up until when he started this entire mess, or in her dreams. Robin mentally screamed at himself, telling himself to forget the damn dreams for just one damn second but that kind suggestions from himself was not easily followed as his blood had yet to return to his brain and his eyes could not seem to focus on anything but her soft lips as she spoke. He felt strange, like never before. Maybe Raven's powers had something to do with this. Maybe the feelings she was having in her dreams were finding some way to affect him, to make him feel the lust she had felt.

"I'm sorry Robin...my dreams with my powers...sometimes I lose conscious control...please tell me I didn't do what was going through my head...please tell me that I didn't do that while I was asleep." Robin tried to give her a reassuring smile but couldn't seem to give one as he looked at the slightly panicked empath.

"Well..." That was all he got out before she closed her eyes with a strange look on her face.

"I'm sorry Robin, I should have been in more control especially after what I told you last night. I shouldn't be forcing some fantasy on you even if I wasn't entirely in control and especially when you don't want me to touch you like that." Finally, Robin managed to give her a reassuring smile.

"Its okay Rae. Don't worry about it." She smiled tentatively before finally returning to a blank face.

"If everything is okay then, I think I'll go to my room. Thank you for last night, for holding me while I cried, it...it meant a lot." Robin smiled again.

"Anytime Rae." She glared for a few seconds.

"That's the second time you called me Rae, do Not do it a third." She gave a small mischievous grin after a few seconds of silence and Robin felt a tiny bit relieved. A dark dimension would not be his new home today. Raven rose to her feet, looking for her cloak which someone had fallen off of her body during the night. Robin, on the other hand, did not move because, well he did not want Raven to see the visible effect her actions were still having on his body. He just continued to ly on the bed as Raven bent down right in front of him to pick up her cloak. Her firm backside quite visible since she only wore a skin tight leotard, was right there and he felt himself scream in his mind for the love of God for fate to stop taunting him with these improper thoughts about his friend Raven, well a friend who was madly in love with him and was incredibly beautiful. A final, hormonal thought managed to swell up in his mind, as he immaturely wondered how the hell she wore underwear with her particular choice of uniform. Since god was not done repaying him for his idiocy over the past two days, for his hurting two very wonderful and caring people, Raven stopped right before the door and turned her head back every so slightly.

"I don't," answering the perverted question that was in Robin's head and with that she disappeared in black energy, not even using the door. Robin smacked himself upside the head and let out a deep sigh.

"Alright, I have no idea what time it is or what the hell I'm doing or what the hell I'm going to do." Another deep breath. "Alright," He clapped his hands together. "Long, cold shower and then I'll work from there."

Robin's long, cold, shower inevitably followed with a grueling workout, to work out a combination of issues. The workout ended when he felt a presence in the room and turned around to find Starfire standing there in her uniform, watching him with soft, loving eyes. He couldn't help but bask in that look but he also found himself studying her body which was so revealed in her clothes. He quickly snapped that part of his mind closed, residual effects of his induced lust from his encounter with Raven. He couldn't look at someone as pure and innocent as Starfire like that...Robin stopped at the thought. Raven was no less pure and no less innocent as Starfire as far as he knew then why was he able to look at her differently that the alien beauty in front of him. He wasn't really sure why whatever small piece of lust that dwelled within him seemed to only emerge with Raven but he assumed it was because Starfire did not have sexuality in anyway as her naivete and complete goodness cancelled out anything like that from existing. He gave Starfire a warm smile before wiping off his face with a nearby towel.

"Hey Star, is there something I can do for you?" Once again that loving look was in her eyes and again Robin felt something shoot through his body.

"Yes Robin. I was wondering if you have talked with Raven yet? I was wondering if...if she is okay and if you think she will want to see me?" Robin carefully thought back to last night with Raven, carefully playing over everything that had passed between them, everything that she had told him. He remembered not that long ago that he though of her as the most vulnerable, the most emotionally weak but of his repression but when he thought about what she had told him, he realized that she was probably the strongest of them all. She may repress her feelings, but she seemed to understand them better than anyone. Robin chose the words to his response carefully.

"I think...," Robin paused for a second, "She will be fine and I think you should at least try and talk to her because you owe her a tremendous apology."

"I know Robin. Your words to me yesterday made me realize just how much of a glorbag I have been to my dear friend Raven. I allowed my bad emotions to get out of control and hurt her, hurt her most badly. I don't know if things will ever be the same but I can at least try." Robin smiled as he approached Starfire and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You don't seem to realize just how mature and forgiving Raven can be Star. Go try and talk to her." Starfire soon had a bubbly smile on her face as she quickly bent down slightly to give Robin a quick peck on her cheek before flying away. Robin felt his body flush at the contact but it was far different than he had felt when Raven had been touching him. After everything that had happened, after all the time he had spent contemplating his feelings, good and bad, after all the words spoken by both Raven, Starfire and even Batman and Cyborg, Robin realized one undeniable and unfalliable truth to the entire situation: He was utterly, totally, and completely screwed on what to do.

Though Starfire had quickly left the presence of Robin, her pace gradually slowed down as she neared her destination. She remembered flying hurriedly this exact path toward this exact same room to talk to the exact same person not that long ago and the outcome of that journey still echoed loudly within every location in her mind. She knew she owed Raven an apology, she knew a part of her wanted to hug the stuffings out of the purple-haired girl, and cry uncontrollably begging for forgiveness. However, the other part wasn't sure what to do. Robin said he couldn't deal with her and Raven fighting but she was positive he had meant that he couldn't deal with her fighting with Raven. Raven had made no hostile gesture, had spoken no words of malice or anger, but only spoke in defense of herself, her heart, and her right to feel. Starfire knew just how dangerous and fearful emotions were for Raven most of the time and that when she felt anything, it was a true feeling and something that Raven had felt so intensely, she could not hold it in. She remembered seeing Raven so emotional when Starfire had confronted her and knew, had she been thinking clearly then, that Raven was being completely honest and that Starfire's words had cut deeper than she should have ever allowed herself to do to her friend.

Eventually, she made it to the door to Raven's room and stared at it, feeling the desire to flee from where she was at. However, the door slid open before she even could come to a decision, Raven peering out from the darkness. Her voice was quiet and sounded exhausted.

"I knew you would show up eventually Star. You can come in if you want." Starfire could only stare for a few seconds before following in the sorceress into the dark. Starfire did not need to see the room because she could feel that the hole was still in the wall by the gentle breezing coming into the room, the hole that was the result of Raven's emotional outburst to defend herself against her own friend's words. Starfire's eyes slowly adjusted to the room and she could see Raven floating in the air in the lotus position with her eyes closed, silently mediating.

"If you wish to speak Star, go ahead but I need to meditate right now or something else may get damaged."

"Yes...I am most sorry about the wall Raven."

"Yes but then I wouldn't have such a nice, relaxing breath in my room to meditate with." The slight truth mixed with the sarcasm went completely over Starfire's head.

"Raven...friend Raven..." The words were spoken with total uncertainty. "I have so much to apologize for, so much that I did and said were wrong, so very wrong to do to my friend...so very wrong to do to anyone."

"Its okay Starfire. I'm used to people turning on me, it's a normal part of being me." Starfire cringed slightly at the overwhelming bitterness that flowed from Raven's words. She did not need Raven's empathic abilities to know that.

"No it is not okay Raven!" Starfire's words came out stronger than she had anticipated, causing Raven to open one eye as she floated there.

"I was horrible Raven. I said terrible things all because of bad feelings and jealous and I should have not under any circumstances called you ugly or a witch. You are a wonderful, caring, beautiful person and I do not deserve you as a friend anymore." Starfire felt some tears starting to form in her eyes and she made no effort to stop them. She stared at the ground as she began to cry as Raven floated down to the ground, her feet silently touching the ground as she watched Starfire. She could feel the emotions coming from her and knew she was being genuine with her apology.

"Starfire." Starfire sniffed loudly and looked up tentatively. "I accept your apology under two conditions." Starfire eagerly nodded her head.

"Anything Raven."

"One: you will help me fix this hole in my room." Again Starfire agreed hastily.

"The second one is that you have to understand something. Robin...Robin is dear to me as he is to you but what you have to realize the decision always has and always will be his. I think we are both guilty of pushing the issue of these emotions on to him and I don't think...well I know he didn't know how to handle it. It will take time for us to truly be friends as we once were but that can't happen if you can't accept my feelings for Robin. If you can't, then this conversation is over." Starfire quietly contemplated the words.

"To be friends with you Raven, I will do anything." Normally, Starfire would have engulfed the smaller girl in a strong hug but she knew it would be awhile before she was willing to accept that type of contact from her again.

"Alright Star. Now I don't need to sound rude but I need to meditate. Could you please leave?" Her tone was stern but not harsh.

"I understand Raven. I shall see you of later." Raven was already back in her floating lotus position with her eyes closed. Starfire left the room with a small smile on her face, knowing at least things were getting a little better between her and her once best friend. Raven remained in her room meditating, knowing rebuilding the friendship would be just as hard for her as it would be for Starfire. She knew it would take Starfire time to deal with the reality of her feelings toward Robin and for Raven, it was hard for her knowing that more of Robin's heart lied with the bubbly, alien princess, and that would be just as hard to endure through no matter how strong she tried to be.

**spiderbob: **Sorry for the long delay but computer broke for awhile, then couldn't decide what I wanted to do with the story, and then got hooked writing my other story. With that said, hope you enjoyed the Rob/Rae interaction.

**evilsangle: **I know the drill Brit. You know which pair I usually go with though I won't promise anything because ya never know what might pop into my head at a random moment. Sorry for the delay on this story but at least you had the other one to enjoy and I don't think this story will make you cry too much.

**mysti-eyed:** It's a distinct difference between the two but Raven is the more mature, down the earth of the two so thats probably how it would be. Sorry for the long delay because it was unfair of me.

**Cherry Jade: **Yeah I think Robin trying to explain his reasoning to Raven would have ended with a slap from beyond by Raven. I tried to make Starfire more understandable because there is always a reason behind extreme behavior. I want her to be more likeable because she is a pretty likeable character. Decisions are never made easy because all sides always have such strong benefits.

**ravenwithemotion: **Wow. About two hundred thousand words of writing in about 4 stories and you are the first person to actually yell about the pairings. That is amazing. You are entitled to your opinion as almost all pairings have validation in some way or another. I'm not exactly sure how you feel about the story at this point but if you don't like it thats cool, if you do, cool as well.

**MsLessa: **Yeah, sometimes I don't get everything right because I rush to get chapters out but I guess I don't have that excuse for this chapter. Hopefully the flow goes well here like chapter 6 did. Sorry for the delay but I hope Rob/Rae stuff made up for it.

**xcloudx:** Sorry for the delay and hope the chapter goes well.


	8. He who knows the Least, Knows

1A/N: This chapter gets more back into the mind set of Robin's decision and brings about Beast Boy in an actually important role. He may seem serious in this chapter which is not like him but I believe the only time he would ever be serious would be when it concerned Terra which for the most part stays true to the show as he was quite serious anytime Terra was involved...well almost always. Anywho, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 8

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

I can remember when I was still completely consumed by Slade that time seemed to fly by, that there never seemed to be enough hours in the day for me to accomplish everything I wanted to do yet now, that I am consumed with an entirely different problem, I find that the clock ticks by the pace of a snail. It feels like its been weeks since all this started and in reality, so many things have happened that it should have been weeks but its only been a few days. I feel like the whole world has continued moving yet the tower has fallen into slow motion, leaving me to dwell over so many things that I still don't think I understand completely. The only plus to the entire situation is that in the last twenty four hours or so, since the incident with Raven in my room, a tentative peace has settled over our home. Raven had barely been seen, choosing to spend most of her time in her room meditating. Starfire had been leaving the tower for almost the entire time to...see the beauty of Earth as she put it, but I believe what she was doing was her own type of meditation. Beast Boy and Cyborg seemed to be affected by the quietness of the tower itself and had taken to lounging around on the couch flipping through channels, not even having the motivation to argue about meat. On occasions, Cyborg would give me a look that I knew was asking me if things were getting resolved and all I could do was slowly nod my head because I was doing my best to get everything resolved, it was just an arduous process.

Anytime I'm faced with a problem that I can not fix or a mystery I can not solve, I always throw my entire self into finding the solution no matter the cost. It is my obsessive nature that helps make me a prepared leader and effective detective but it is also that nature that made me Red X, the first apprentice, as well as nearly took my life battling my own inner demon when the dust entered me, when I simply could not let go of finding Slade. However, this problem I faced now had evolved into something I almost feared, something that I don't think there was a true answer to. I've always wanted to do the right thing, I've always wanted to make sure that no one I cared about got hurt because of me, but I knew, with this, that someone would inevitably hurt, and the jury was still out on whether that person would be me after breaking someone's heart. The other problem in all of this was that I simply did not understand my own feelings as I really had never put too much thought into the depths of my own heart because for a long time I never thought I needed to. Batman had raised me not to worry about such things but he had made it clear from our talk that it was something I needed to do, evaluate what my heart desired. Even then, I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for as the truth of the love I am searching for is a foreign concept to me just as I'm sure it is to Raven though I'm sure Starfire has felt something at one point to a lesser extent. Of course I'm supposed to be the great detective so I should be able to find something no matter how difficult, but I don't think I've ever had to find something as elusive as love.

Two beautiful, amazing women had fallen in love with me, two stunning, remarkable beings cared for me above anyone else in their lives and that thought was still hard for me to understand though after the talks with both of them the depths of all it were made far more clear. Starfire loved me. Raven loved me. It still sounded a little bit strange to hear but after hearing from both of the girls, I found that it wasn't as bad to hear, even comforting to hear. Maybe because I hadn't heard those words since my parents and that had been so very long ago.

I understand there are many different types of love one can feel. The love between friends, the love between parents and siblings, and the love between two people that goes beyond simple definition. I'm trying to be as logical as possible about this situation, trying to figure out what simply makes the most sense, and I am starting to understand that may be my problem. I am trying to be logical about emotions rather than simply trying to feel them. I sit down writing lists of pros and cons of both girls over and over again in my room, yet as rational as it is to chose to love the one with most pros and least cons, it is idiocy to think that is an acceptable solution. You can not help who you fall in love with, you can not choose based on a list of their qualities, but I still don't know how you know. I just don't know and I am so damn sick of thinking that same thought over and over again in my head.

I feel like banging my head against the wall, oh I don't know, until I lose consciousness, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was about five seconds from jumping out the window into the cold water of they bay just to try and stop the relentless thinking I was being subjected to yet just by the barest margin from doing either of those things, something hit me. I had not even thought about going to him, but when does anybody go to talk to Beast Boy about solving a problem. Usually its going to Beast Boy asking why he found it necessary to cause this particular problem yet Beast Boy knew the feelings that I needed to find within myself, needed to be able to recognize. He had been in love with Terra, a fact that was obvious to us all, and I knew, when she was around, the young man had never been happier. Her betrayal had nearly destroyed him but I think he understood her better than anyone, understood what would have driven her away into the arms of Slade, and I think she made it clear in the end that she loved Beast Boy just as much as he did her. I was tentative about bringing up something with Beast Boy because I know Terra was still a bit touchy with him but he had proven to be stronger and more resilient that I had thought, proven he could handle a conversation like the one I was going to initiate. Just maybe, a talk with him would help point me in a better direction. Beast Boy was fueled by emotions and whims, and again, maybe I was being still a bit too logical, but maybe talking with someone like that would make me better.

By whatever small bit of fortune that was willing to still shine down on me, upon leaving my room and heading down to the main room, I found Beast Boy, by himself, sitting on the couch watching some type of show that I didn't quite recognize. Of course there were so many shows out there with so many channels that it was impossible to know them all, though Beast Boy was dangerously close to achieving that impossibility. I walked over and sat down on the other side of the couch, he barely moved.

"Hey Beast Boy, where's Cyborg at? I haven't seen him off the couch in forever." Beast Boy didn't look at me but did respond.

"He said something about the T-car needing work and that he had been lazy for too long so had to do something. Honestly, I don't know what he was talking about. We only watched tv for like 14 hours. Its not lazy until at least double that." I couldn't help but quietly chuckle at the joke which for all I knew, could have been complete seriousness. Silence between the two of us resumed for quite a bit as Beast Boy seemed to be engulfed in what he was watching. Eventually, I figured it was time to try and start what would probably be a very awkward conversation.

"Hey Beast Boy...how did you know you were in love with Terra?" I knew it was blunt but I had to try and get his attention somehow. His body visibly tensed up for a second but then relaxed again. The sound of the tv clicking off was heard and after a few seconds, he responded.

"That wasn't a question I ever thought I'd hear from you Rob. What brought on your sudden interest in that?" His voice was quiet though was surprisingly relaxed sounding. I hesitantly responded, feeling slightly nervous in front of Beast Boy. That truly was a first.

"Well, as you may or may not noticed there have been some things going around the tower as of late, disruptive things, and the answer to that question may make things easier for me on how to deal with this all." Beast Boy's head turned toward me and I found a seriousness in his eyes but a small smile on his lips.

"Is it Starfire or Raven?" I wasn't really shocked by Beast Boy's observation skills. He may have not been the most intelligent of people but to not understand my reasoning for asking him this particular question was not beyond him.

"That's kind of where the problem lies Beast Boy." He nodded his head in a serious manner and a serious Beast Boy was a very strange sight to behold.

"Well if me telling you how I knew I loved Terra will help, then I guess I'll tell you. What a lot of people don't know, is that I used to have a thing for Raven." Again, I wasn't shocked by this news but it had been obvious for awhile.

"Maybe it was the whole, opposites attract thing or maybe that I kind of knew I could never have her, or maybe it was because she was the only one I never made laugh, but whatever it was, I did have feelings for her. Of course, then Terra came along, and I know it wasn't love at first sight, but the second I saw her, I knew she was special. It all started from there, all started from that feeling that she was just something important to me. I got quickly over Raven when Terra came back but that was just some feelings. Of course the more I hung around Terra, the more I realized just what being with Raven would be like if we were together. With Terra, I was free to be myself entirely, free to act exactly who I am, not having to pretend I was someone else, and she truly cared for what I really was.. I knew that if I was ever with Raven, I'd have to change because parts of what make me me clash with some of the parts that make her her, things that would never be able to work together." I slowly nodded my head as I listened, doing my best to make sense of what he was saying.

"Being around Terra, I felt at peace, I felt comfortable, I felt happy to be immature and green skinned, not like an outcast I've dealt with a lot in my life." I could see him smiling as he talked, no doubt reminiscing about some memory between him and Terra in is head as he spoke, happy memories.

"You asked how I knew I loved Terra well it was something that eventually just was. I cared deeply for Terra. I respected her, I lusted after her, I trusted her, and I loved just being me around her. She made me happy, she made me sad, but she made me complete. All these things simply came together over time, and one day, I simply knew that I was in love with her more than anything in this world. I just simply knew that what truly lied deep with in all my feelings, was pure love for her." I was truly surprised by the words of Beast Boy. The words were compelling, strong, and held so much of his own emotions in them. I realized I was looking at a Beast Boy that probably very few had ever seen though I was sure a blonde haired earthmover was one of the fortunate few to see this man appear more than once. I had no idea what to say to him at this moment though it seemed he was still willing to do all the talking for both of us.

"If you're not sure how to respond to all of this Rob, that's cool. If my answer didn't give you a final answer to your question, well that's cool to. I guess what I'm trying to tell you Rob is that there is no answer that is going to just pop up and say hello. I was in love with Terra but it took months for that feeling to emerge. Now you've known Starfire and Raven for a long time and if you're not sure about where your feelings ly, then its probably because they don't ly anywhere, haven't become what your looking for. The answer won't appear because your dead set on looking for it, but will appear when its actually supposed to be there, not when you want it."

"Wow Beast Boy, that...that was profound." He gave me a big smile.

"Hey man, I can't get by on my good looks and sense of humor alone ya know." I couldn't help but laugh as Beast Boy returned back to his usual self though when he had spoke those words was no less a legitimate part of who he was.

"Thanks man, I'm glad I came to talk to you."

"Anytime Rob. Anytime. But now if you'll excuse me, I have a James Bond marathon to start watching and that will require all of my vast, all-knowing brain power." Beast Boy struck some type of strange pose that almost made me question the fact of why I would ever listen to someone like him but his words always came back to me, and the truth that lied within them. Everyone had been telling me I had to make a decision, had to figure out who my heart was with, but Beast Boy had made it rather clear. I didn't have to make a decision because if I couldn't figure out who I was in love with, that was because I wasn't in love with either of them. I was trying to force out emotions so that I could solve the problem I faced, get this over with as soon as I could, but that just wasn't a possibility. I had to be honest with myself and like he said, I would simply know the feeling of love when I truly felt it. I think in my quest to try and decide, I almost started allowing myself to follow a path that I didn't believe whole heartedly in, and if I walked down one of those roads without truly wanting what was at the end, then I would have just made another huge mistake. I rose from the couch as Beast Boy was already engrossed in his marathon and decided to head back to my room. I felt a little bit lighter, like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders for a time. I still was faced with a particular decision but I knew that hastily trying to make this particular decision would only end in disaster. I knew, that one way or another, time would settle all of this out, and I, for once, just had to be aware of what I was feeling, to learn to truly understand what I was feeling, and that would eventually lead me to the right path. .

spiderbob: This was about as fast as I could get this chapter out because I have been busy recently and I don't see me having anytime to write until Monday night but the next chapter should be out about then so patience is key.

evilsangle: I still don't know which way I want to go with the coupling though my history does point to where I usually go. This story should be okay for you on the crying thing because it shouldn't be too sad or too tragic. Hey its okay to be weak, but never in public, but that's just one man's paranoid opinion. Anyways, your opinion has been strongly noted and I will keep it in mind as I progress with the story.

Cherry Jade: Ah the sugar high, I remember those in times past though reality and fiction over even the most recent of years have blurred far too much to know if what I remember is right. As always, thanks for the very kind words from you and anytime you want to call me the best, well then feel free to but only if I deserve it and yeah, I did deserve it for last chapter. And on to another note, thanks for the defense of me and my writing in that review. You are a hundred percent correct in what you said but in the end, I guess you can't really stop people from speaking their minds even if it really doesn't make sense. Oh wellz, I really appreciate it and II just think its funny that after everything I've written that's the first time a pairing issue has ever come up.


	9. No Vacation From It All

1A/N: This is a bit of a transition chapter, about three days after the last one. Robin may seem a bit odd but hey, anyone whose ever had a serious problem and finally realized they shouldn't worry about it so much, knows you get pretty damn lucid afterwards. Anywho, chapter is a bit long and the next one will probably be shorter though it will have some Raven/Robin interaction for those who enjoy that, which I believe is all my readers so lets hope that one goes as well as I expect it to. On a personal note, I've updated my profile with a few lines of wisdom from my everyday life. Hey, I'm trying to enlighten and entertain. Shameless plug shall end now.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already.

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 9

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

Following that talk with Beast Boy, I finally found that I could enjoy this pseudo-vacation that I never quite realized the Titans were on. There was absolutely no crime to speak of for a very long time and I simply had been far too wrapped up in my problems as well as the going ons of the tower to allow myself the chance to bask in this fact. None of our arch enemies had decided to try out some elaborate and potentially deadly trap. None of the minor villains who plagued Jump City somehow weekly, had emerged from whatever garbage can they most likely hid out in. It was an interesting place to be in for me, not overwhelmed with some criminal or crime nor was I completely occupied by some personal problem or private demon. I was sure I was walking around with the smallest of smiles on my face which was highly uncharacteristic of me but I just could not help myself. Maybe it would be only for a little while, maybe it would be for only one more hour, I didn't know but I found myself for the first time in a very long time simply at peace with the life around me.

At this exact moment, I was simply sitting on the ledge of the roof, staring out at the city I had sworn to protect but in reality, I wasn't really focused on the city, hell I wasn't focused on anything at all. I was just enjoying the warm sun on my body and the feel of the gentle breeze as it brushed past me. I could hear the faintest of sounds a few floors below me, knowing that it was simply Starfire and Raven fixing the hole in Raven's wall, the result of as Starfire would say, "much unpleasantness." I knew Cyborg was helping the two as despite their considerable powers, neither of the young women had any idea how to replace a wall, a concept that Cyborg and I, over the years had become considerable experts on thanks to the friendly neighborhood visits of various villains. I knew that as the two young women repaired the wall, they were in reality at the same time working on repairing their tattered friendship. It was a pleasant thought, knowing that Starfire and Raven were working together. I had only see the two girls interact briefly since the apparent start of their attempts to fix what in reality, Starfire's jealousy had broken though there was always the possibility that if Raven had been more honest with her best friend about her feelings toward me, things could have been handled with a lesser degree of destruction and wrath than the situation culminated in. I really don't know but I guess at this point it doesn't matter.

The interactions between the two was slow and cautious. Starfire who used to simply talk nonstop to her much quieter friend about everything that popped into the bubbly aliens head now chose her words carefully when speaking to Raven, doing her best not to upset her. Raven, who when dealing with Starfire, had a level of patience that was matched only by my own, was slightly more stern with Starfire when she was becoming a bit annoying though to make a true judgement on exactly what the full extent of changes their friendship had gone through was impossible. It of course had been only three days since I had even seen them start talking so I really had no idea where the two were going with their relationship.

Three days since I had that talk with Beast Boy, three days of simply sitting back and relaxing and I knew I had deserved it. The strain I had put on my mind obsessing was incredible and it had taken only a few moments of conversation with Beast Boy to alleviate it. I laughed just a little bit to myself since the fact that Beast Boy had given me the chance to reach such a state of relaxation. Maybe I should buy him a moped as a thank you. It wasn't like it would be hard for me to procure the money for it. Thanks to Bruce over the years I lived with him, I had quite a bit of money stored away, plenty to support the Titans financially when what the city offered was not enough to pay all the bills, like on those weeks where the food bill somehow found a way to surpass NASA's annual budget. I had to be the only one in the tower who didn't cost a fortune to feed. Cyborg was a nonstop eating machine, Beast Boy's speciality Tofu was far too expensive, and the sheer amount, not to mention the strangeness of what Starfire ate was unbelievable for a girl who never gained weight or ended up with food poisoning. Of course, if I understood correctly, she did have a bit more complicated digestive system with I think a few more stomachs to process everything she ate. Raven did not each much, usually preferring her tea to eating every meal, but the specific brands of tea she drank were costly, though I never once said anything about it. Raven needed her tea the same way I needed to train. It wasn't a luxury, it was a necessity so whatever it costs, it was fine with me.

Again I laughed to myself. It was random tangents of thoughts like these that I frequently found myself in though they had almost no purpose to anything. It was simply an offset of not having anything to truly focus my mind on. Beast Boy had been right. No need to worry because things will work out when they are meant to work out. I was pulled from my reverie by shouting that sounded extremely close to the words of, "I'll kill you grass stain." from the mouth of a very angry Cyborg and then a loud crash. I guess it was time to go into leader mode for a little bit though I doubted this was anything serious. Beast Boy and Cyborg fighting was as natural as the sun rising and from the obvious looks of it, the sun had risen today. I found myself whistling some forgotten tune as I headed back into the tower toward the main room.

The instant I walked into the main room, I spotted a green blur being chased down by an irrate Cyborg. Neither of the girls were anywhere to be seen. Cyborg was screaming some nonsensical words at Beast Boy who, upon seeing me standing in the door way, ran over to me.

"Robin! Thank God! You need to save me man, Cyborg is going ballistic."

"Damn right I am you tofu-eating freak." Cyborg marched menacingly over toward Beast Boy who was cowering behind me but I raised my hand to stop Cyborg.

"Beast Boy, what did you do to Cyborg?"

"See Robin, its not my fault. You know how Cyborg has absolutely no sense of humor..."

Whatever explanation was cut off by another shout by Cyborg and I found myself doing my best to hold back a body that outweighed me probably by a ton or so. Yeah this was really going to end well for me. Thankfully, Cyborg was suddenly engulfed in black energy and was gently pushed back away from me and Beast Boy who had turned into a turtle and was tucked tightly in his shell.

"Calm down Cyborg. No need to kill any innocent bystander to get even with Beast Boy, though he most likely deserves it." Beast Boy took the opportunity to form back into his normal form in order to yell out a 'Hey' at Raven's comment about him deserving what he got. I turned around to find Raven and Starfire standing behind me, both holding glassed in their hands that looked like lemonade. Starfire had a small smile on her face as she looked at me and Raven was unreadable as she was her face was covered by her hood.

"Someone want to tell me what happened here?" Beast Boy shifted nervously as Cyborg had a knowing smile on his face that Beast Boy was so going to get it from the leader. Starfire was the one to answer.

"Cyborg, Raven, and I were working on repairing the wall when friend Beast Boy was nice enough to bring us the aid of the lemon to quench our thirst. However, it seems Cyborg's drink was not what it was supposed to." I turned to look at Beast Boy.

"What! It was just a joke. You would have found it amusing too had you seen the look on Cyborg's face when he gulped it all down." Cyborg growled at the much smaller boy.

"What exactly was it Beast Boy?" Beast Boy nervously laughed.

"Can't tell you that...it's a trade secret but lets just say Cyborg won't be getting the taste of that out of his mouth for a long time." Cyborg jumped forward at Beast Boy but again black energy prevented him from reaching his destination.

"Alright, alright, everyone relax. First of all, I would like to commend you Beast Boy on not being stupid enough to pull this prank on Raven or Starfire because I think we all know what would have happened had you done that." Beast Boy slowly looked at the two girls. One he knew had the incredible ability to make him feel guilty as hell if he did anything bad to her. The other, he gulped as he could see Raven's disapproving eyes from under her hood, would, politely saying it, hurt him.

"Secondly, it is far too nice of a day for anyone to be working or anyone to be arguing. How about we forget all this and just head to the city beach, just go hang out with the people of the city and enjoy the weather." Immediately, Cyborg's face brightened at the prospect of more than likely, girls in bikinis. Beast Boy was jumping up and down like an excited kid and Starfire was clapping her hands in front of her giving a trademark 'glorious' as her reply. Slowly, everyone turned toward Raven, who had made no response to the prospect of going to the beach.

"And what possible reason would there for me to go to the beach, around all those people, in the blistering sun?" I gave her a smile.

"Because I know even you can't pass up the opportunity to enjoy a day as beautiful as this with your friends." The room grew silent as I continued to smile at her, knowing that she was caving in. I could just feel it.

"Fine. But if anyone even attempts to get me to go in the water, you will pay," and with that final threat, Raven turned around, her cloak flowing out ever so slightly, and left for her room.

As I waited for everyone to arrive, I thought about what had made me bring up the beach idea. Maybe I just didn't want to deal with the arguing that was going on when I was in such a good mood, maybe I just wanted to have a good time, maybe I was hoping to see if everything had returned to somewhat normalcy by getting everyone to hang out together. I really wasn't sure and as the minutes passed by, I found myself caring less and less about the why, and only focused on the now. Cyborg was the first to come down actually wearing a pair of swim trunks despite not needing it. We were going to the city beach so why not be as normal as possible. It wasn't everyday we got the opportunity. He started hauling stuff off to the T-car as I continued to wait for the rest. Beast soon arrived in his beach clothes, the scrawniness of his body obvious as he was wearing a white wife-beater which in no way was flattering to his lack of muscle. The next Titan to arrive was Starfire who had on her favorite green hat along with a pair of shorts and a tight t-shirt, her bathing suit most likely underneath. It took about another five minutes for Raven to make it down, no one knowing she had been debating the whole time with herself in her room if this was a good idea for her to go. She arrived still shrouded in her cloak though no one commented on the fact. After Raven arrived, Cyborg started pushing everyone toward the T-car, intent on getting to the beach as soon as possible and I was sure that he had broken some type of land speed record in his haste to drive there. During the whole car ride, Starfire was happily talking about everything she wanted to do at the beach as was Beast Boy. Cyborg was simply nodding his head, more to the music he had blasting than to what the two of them were saying. Raven did not say anything during the trip but rather only sat quietly in the passenger seat clutching a large book in her small hands. I was simply happy to have everyone together like this.

When we finally arrived at the beach, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire scrambled madly out of the car. I had to call them back so that they could actually help carry some of the stuff to the beach. I immediately noticed that the beach was crowded and that many of the people had taken notice of us the second we had arrived. Most of the people were only subtly glancing over at us as most of the city respected our privacy and did their best not to gush over us at every opportunity. A few people were your typical star-struck fans and were openly staring at all of us with wide-eyes and it still made me feel a bit weird seeing that type of admiration in complete strangers. Back in Gotham, I never really saw those I helped or who I saved as it was always disappearing back into the night the second the enemy was stopped. Here, in Jump City, the Titans were public icons and frequently spent time just walking around the city. It was a completely different environment for me.

It took about 15 minutes of noisy, unorganized setup for all of us to finally settle in at a spot. I could have made things go smoother and organized everything but today I wasn't going to be a leader, today I was just going to sit back and relax. Raven had quickly set up an umbrella and a chair, and was nowt sitting quietly in her created shade reading her book, seemingly taking no notice of anything around her. She still remained covered in her cloak though her long, firm legs were peaking out. I silently yelled at myself for the thought and turned my attention toward Beast Boy and Cyborg who were pulling out a Frisbee to toss around and I walked over to join them. We barely got settled in when we suddenly realized that the entire beach had grown completely silent. The three of us looked at each other with confused expressions before scanning the beach in curiosity. We quickly realized that every guy on the beach was currently staring with mouth's agape about twenty feet behind us. I somehow instantly knew what they were looking at. I turned around to find Starfire peeling off her clothes and I too found myself staring. The whole process seemed to go tantalizingly slow as she revealed inch after inch of her bare flesh, somehow easily revealing more than even her normal uniform did. When it was all over, she was wearing a very small pink bikini that clung to her like a second skin so perfectly showing off her amazing body. A gentle breeze caused her long, red hair to flow in the wind and it was moments like these I was reminded just how phenomenally beautiful Starfire was. I glanced behind me at Beast Boy and Cyborg seeing identical looks on their face that probably had graced my own face, which was till gracing the faces of every willing and able guy on the beach. I then looked over at Raven and watched as she did her best to pull her cloak around her legs, trying to make sure her body was completely hidden from anyone's eyes.. I thought back to when she had more or less asked me if she was ugly and I realized that she again was probably feeling self conscious about herself after watching the little scene that just played out. I felt compelled to go over and talk to her but I doubt she wanted to be bothered with something like that in public. Whatever thoughts I was having were soon gone when Starfire came floating over with a warm smile on her face asking if she could join us in playing Frisbee and what else could I say but sure Star.

The day at the beach passed happily as everyone enjoyed themselves more than they had in a long time and I even caught the smallest of smiles from Raven's face despite her being hidden in the shade as she watched all of us. We had played Frisbee for awhile, had helped Starfire build a sand castle, and dunked Beast Boy, oh I'd say about two dozen times in the ocean. It was Cyborg's way of getting some revenge from earlier and I just got caught up in the fun. Every time he was tossed out into the ocean, Starfire would fly and retrieve him only for him to end up right back out there. Eventually we decided he had enough and set up a beach volleyball net, inviting many of the young men and women around us to join us. Of course none of us used our powers as to keep things fair and simply had a good time. I found myself enjoying myself to a degree that was very uncommon to me and I was slowly realizing that I had been taking life far to serious, creating more problems than necessary for me to deal with.

Over the course of the day, an uncountable amount of young men had approached Starfire trying out their best lines, asking her on dates, or simply just trying to talk to the Tamaranian beauty. She would always smile, would occasionally blush at whatever was said to her, and politely decline whatever offer was made. It was already late afternoon, and still another group of guys had approached her. I sat quietly watching the sight, smiling as she giggled about something. She did seem so happy. I suddenly felt another person behind me and the fact that I did not feel any sand shift as the person approached meant it could be only one person.

"Did you enjoy your book Raven?" I turned around as I spoke finding Raven hovering just above the sand, her cloak, even in the breeze, finding a way to not move from its presence around her body though her hood was now down. Raven had spent almost the entire day in her shaded spot and being as observant as I was, I knew that she really hadn't been reading, but rather had been watching her friends good time with a small smile on her face. It was one of those things me and Raven had in common, we both were watchers and found simple enjoyment in our friends happiness.

"Yes Robin. It was a real page turner." I laughed lightly at her sarcastic tone. Again I went back to looking at Starfire and her crowd as me and Raven went into silence. Eventually she spoke.

"She is getting quite a bit of attention Robin. Are you sure your not getting jealous?" Her tone was more curious than it was accusing. I thought about it for a second and realized that no, I had never once been jealous of watching all these guys hitting on Starfire. I was actually a little bit relieved her attention had not been on me all day and as long as she was smiling and laughing, I really didn't care what was going on.

"Not at all Raven. Not at all." Again I turned to look at her and it seemed like she was staring through me, more than likely trying to get a read on the truthfulness of my words. Eventually her gaze ended and went to focus on what was in front of us, her eyes quickly going wide.

"I think we have a problem Robin." I noticed the slight urgency in her voice and quickly looked at Starfire. She had a confused and slightly hurt look on her face as some guy, with a rather angry look on his face, was yelling at her. I had no doubt Starfire was in any physical danger as the girl was damn near indestructible but she was still very naive and was hurt emotionally very easily and apparently whatever had happened was hurting her. I got up with a growl, Raven quickly floating after me.

"Hey Star, is there something going on here?" I tried to sound as gentle as I could but I was holding back quite a bit of emotion as I saw a smug look on the guy who had been yelling at her.

"No problem here man so you can just run along." I glared at the guy for a second before turning back to Star who had her arms wrapped nervously around herself giving her a reassuring smile.

"I do not know what is going on Robin. I declined his asking of me for a date and then he started yelling. I do not understand. Why would he do this? Why would he call me a female dog?" Her voice was slightly shaky and she was definitely upset about being yelled at for doing nothing wrong, simply not understanding exactly what was going on. Again I glared at the guy who had done this to her and he still had that same damn smug look on his face.

"I think it would be best if you apologized to her and then left." He smiled.

"What? She stands here dressed like that, talks with me for ten minutes, asks all interested, and then turns me down like its nothing. Maybe your just upset because you think this one already belongs to you." I went to retort but Raven beat me to it, conviction strong in her voice.

"Starfire does not belong to anyone and you have no right to make assumptions about her or anything she does. She was just being polite, maybe you should try it." Starfire's eyes widened as Raven came so strongly to her defense and even I was a little surprised at her outburst, well as much of an outburst as she would allow herself in public. The guy still only kept his smug smile infuriating me more and more.

"So are you going to give her the apology she deserves?" My voice was low, doing my best not to attack him, doing my best not to break the law. He finally replied, unwarranted arrogance still filling his voice.

"How about this, how about you and that grey-skinned, purple-haired freak over there get the hell out of here and get off my beach?" There was not even a second of hesitation in my mind or my body after hearing his insulting words. It was the first time I think I had ever lashed out like this since my younger days with Bruce and those always ended badly for me. My fist instantly was flying straight at his face, with every intention of inflicting as much bodily harm on him as I could. The smug look on his face was gone in an instant replaced with one of fear. I highly doubt he believed that Robin, defender of all those innocent and upholder of the law, would snap and assault him just like that. One inch before contact, one inch before I more than likely would have gained some twisted satisfaction from hearing his nose break, one inch before I would have gone against everything I believed in by attacking an innocent, even if he deserved it, my hand stopped, though not by my own accord. My hand was encased in black energy, Raven using her telekinetic power to stop me from making a mistake. Everyone was breathless, waiting for something to happen though no one heard the words that Raven was speaking to me, directly into my mind.

"Please Robin, I'm not worth it. I'm not worth it." I felt my body grew colder at hearing the raw emotion from her, feeling just how low she thought of herself at this moment. Her energy quickly dissipated and she flew away from the scene as fast as she could, the hood of her cloak being pulled up to cover what little was visible. Again, there was no hesitation in my reactions, and I ran after her as fast as I could.

The guy who had been yelling at Starfire's look of fear once again returned to being cocky though that ended. He suddenly felt a feminine hand grip his wrist.

"So baby, did you finally see things my way." He looked to see two burning green eyes and a look of pure rage, nearly wetting himself.

"No one speaks about Raven like that." He barely had time for a scream before Starfire picked him up and threw him into the ocean, everyone else around her smiling somewhat, even his friends, knowing this guy had got what he deserved. Starfire's rage subsided and was quickly replaced with one of regret. The pain she had saw on Raven's face at that man's words had reminded her of what she had done to Raven, what she had said to Raven, and how quickly Raven had come to her defense made her realize again just how bad of a friend she had been while Raven had still been good to her. With a small sigh, Starfire floated away from the spectators that remained, heading toward her friends still on the beach.

Reviewer Responses:

You three really help keep me motivated about pretty much all my writing, give me a little to look forward to. Hey, nice comments are a nice reward for finishing a chapter and you three had provided it for every chapter of every story so Thanks. And spiderbob, your pretty damn cool yourself so thanks.

**zadeon: **Goal always is to enlighten the reader and, if the vibe I get from you is correct, you already are pretty on the ball with things so that is an accomplish. Yeah the irony of it all about that the last chapter and most of my writing is it appears that I actually know something about love yet someone as cynical as me barely believes in such a thing. How frickin weird is that. Anyways, peace.

**evilsangle: **Yeah, lets not get too used to a eloquent, serious Beast Boy. That just ain't right. He's back to normal in this chapter, well normal probably isn't the right word. You'll get your Rae/Rob interaction in the next chapter so be looking forward to that though that doesn't mean they'll end up together.

**Cherry Jade: **yeah I actually liked Beast Boy in the last chapter but like I said, I think he is only serious when it involves Terra and there more than likely will be no more Terra in this story so there goes his brain. Yeah, this is the only story where I've debated the coupling and everyone pretty much wants me to go one way, so maybe I'll just be a bastard and do the complete opposite. It would be a jerk move but will see. Oh and great rant in the review. You are dead on in your thoughts about that stuff so feel free to rant away anytime.

**spiderbob:** Yeah life sucks, I have to work pretty much 35 hours in the next three days. I miss the good old days when I had more time and could churn out a 38 chapter epic in about a month and a half. Of course I was more motivated to write that. Thanks for the review and as appreciative and grateful as the audience may be, people like you who take the time to let me know that you are appreciative and grateful are always the best so thanks man.


	10. Circus Attraction

1A/N: Took a bit longer than expected because of work and the fact I've been spending time catching up on reading stories and doing some reviewing.. Quite a few good ones out there. Anyways, I think readers will enjoy this chapter. I guess its my way of making up for I Served My Purpose which was depressing, even I'll admit that. Ending may not make sense but it will eventually. Well, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 10

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

Raven had got quite a bit in front of me, having the distinct advantage of being able to float over the hot sand rather than running on it. Despite my exceptional balance and agility, I was still finding it difficult to keep my footing at the incredible pace I was trying to run to close the gap between me and her. She could have easily just formed into her soul self and went home but I doubt she was thinking very clearly right now. She was hurt, that asshole having attacked an obviously very sensitive subject with the dark young woman. I remembered when she was in the infirmary following the confrontation with Starfire in Raven's room that resulted in her being hurt, I remembered when she asked me if the handsome prince could ever love the ugly witch. I remembered how vulnerable she had sounded when she asked that question. She really did look down on herself, really took to heart when someone said those horrible words to her. I really couldn't understand why she looked so down on herself but there was quite a bit I didn't understand about her.

I wasn't entirely sure where she was fleeing to, hell I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to say to her when I finally caught up to her. As I raced after her, I noticed that there seemed to be no people on this area of the beach. It was a far more secluded area than where we had been. Eventually, I realized I was not going to catch her but for whatever reason, she suddenly stopped. She hovered there, only a few inches off the ground, the breeze sweeping by though it seemed to not affect her at all. I finally made it up to her, nearly ready to collapse from running, bending over with my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. She made no movement at all as I sat there panting and wheezing though as I started to look closer at her, I could see her form shaking the smallest bit. I also noticed a few tendrils of black energy manage to snake their way off her form though after a brief second, they were pulled back into her. Raven had learned incredible control of her power and for her to be fighting this hard for control, meant she was really upset, and again I just couldn't understand why those words had hurt her so much, why she had said she wasn't worth it, wasn't worth to defend. It left a strange feeling in my chest as I thought about it.

"Raven..." I managed to say her name finally after catching my breath. Her reaction was to land on the beach, ending her hoovering. The sand barely shifted under her weight, the only sound was the gentle crashing of the waves on the shore, her back to me, her body clad completely in her dark cloak. I decided to start out by thanking her for what she did.

"Thank you for stopping me back there Raven. Thank you for stopping me from making a huge mistake by punching that guy out." She responded though her voice was distant and faint.

"I was not going to allow you to do something that I knew went against everything you believe in. And besides, its not like what he said about me isn't true. I am a freak." The last words came out even quieter than her words yet they echoed loudly in my mind. They were full of such self loathing, such pain.

"Raven..." Again I said her name though this time it came out more as a pleading for her to stop saying such things about herself, though she did not listen.

"You would think I would be used to words like that by now, think I would be used to the stares of strangers as they look upon my disgusting appearance. I've heard those words from the moment I was born yet they still hurt so much. Why must people always remind me of how different I am, how much of a freak I am." Her voice was shaky and cold. I could feel the presence of so many repressed emotions, so many old wounds being reopened in the young girl, so many unshed tears. I took a step toward her, reaching out a hand, gently grabbing her wrist. She flinched slightly at the touch.

"Raven...please..." I could feel her body trembling, still trying to hold back the tears that she stubbornly refused to let fall. Instead, she spun around, lashing out in anger, an emotion almost always repressed by the stoic young woman. Her eyes stared out from under her hood, boring into my own under my mask.

"You have no idea what its like Robin. You are a human, a normal human. You have no idea what its like for people to stare at you like your some type of circus attraction, like you belong in the freak show. You have no idea what its like to hear there whispers, their snickering, their comments about my hideous skin color or my strange hair. You have no idea what its like to actually feel their waves of disgust toward you radiating off of them." Her eyes were heated yet I could still see the tears within them. I said the first thing that came to mind.

"Actually, I was a circus attraction." Her anger seemed to fade for a second, her blinking in slight shock and confusion, probably not expecting that as a response. She had been in my mind, but she must have not put all the pieces together, or simply had not bothered out of respect to my privacy. However, that look quickly faded and once again returned to one of anger.

"That doesn't matter. You are still a regular human. You can walk away anytime you want from this life...but me, I have no choice. Beast Boy and Cyborg, they look the way they do because of a tragedy. They weren't born that way and hopefully, one day, science can help them, but there is no helping me. I was born looking like this and there is nothing that will ever change that." I continued to hold on to her wrist, matching her intense gaze though she could not see that. Again, I simply did the first thing that came to my mind. I pulled her small form into a gentle embrace, wrapping my arms around her. She resisted, trying to pull away from me, yelling at me.

"Let go of me Robin...let go of me now." I did not let go, only tightened my arms around her. I could feel her small hands pushing against my chest, trying to get away from me, her voice becoming more strained.

"Let go of me, let go of me, let...go...of...me..." Her voice weak, the tears could not be held back any longer, finally breaking through her resistance. She reached her arms around me, burying her face in my chest, as she cried. Again she was crying in my arms, just like a few days ago. I heard something explode somewhere though I really didn't care at this moment.

"Why do I have to look this way. Why do I have to be so ugly. Why can't I be beautiful like Starfire." I only held her tighter, rubbing my hand on her back, doing my best to comfort her. I spoke quietly and gently to her.

"Stop saying such things Raven, just stop saying those things. Why can't you see the truth Raven, why can't you see that your not a freak, that your special, and so very, very beautiful." Her response was still so sad, so defeated.

"Please Robin, I don't want your pity." I gritted my teeth, finally having enough of this. I pulled back from Raven, grabbing on to one of her hands, pulling it to my chest. I reached up and pushed off her hood, revealing her delicate face and she quickly looked away from me, closing her eyes.. I tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear so that her face was not at all hidden from my view.

"Look at me Raven...please." She didn't react immediately but after a brief pause, her head slowly turned, her eyes opening and once again I was seeing two amazing eyes, only this time they weren't filled with anger, but something else I couldn't quite recognize.

"You can feel people's emotions Raven so tell me, do you feel disgust coming from me, do you feel pity, do you feel a single damn thing that tells you what I said isn't absolutely true." My voice was filled with as much conviction as it was when I spoke in battle, completely and totally unwavering in my intention. I felt her studying me, trying to read me.

"No one...no one has ever called me beautiful before." She sounded like a child, unsure of her own words and actions.

"You are Raven, you are so amazingly beautiful. I just so badly wish you could see that. You have no idea how hard it is for me to hear you say things like you've been saying about yourself, such hurtful and untrue things." My words were simply coming out of my mouth, my brain really not registering what I was saying as the words flowed freely from my heart. She only continued to stare at me with her incredible eyes, a look of uncertainty still lingering in them. I knew it was hard far her to believe in my words because I knew she was telling the truth when she said she had heard those terrible things all her life. This was something that had been ingrained in her mind long ago and it was not something that would simply disappear but I knew I would make sure it eventually would. I still held her hand at my chest and I was sure she could feel the rhythmic beating of my heart. I saw something pass through her eyes, as if she had come to a decision. She reached up with her other hand and unclasped her cloak, it slowly falling to the ground, revealing what she looked so down upon to my eyes. Again her words were unsure and fearful.

"Do...do you still think I'm beautiful?" I stared at the sight in front of me, taking in every inch of soft, gray skin, every delicate curve, and I realized I was probably staring just as I had when Starfire took off her clothes earlier. Raven was wearing a modest black bikini, nowhere near as small or revealing as Starfire's though she looked just as stunning. It conformed to her curves perfectly, her flat, bare stomach revealed to me for the first time in all the years I had know her, outside of her dreams though even they were never as vivid as reality. She refused to look at me as she stood there, bearing her body, though in a way bearing her soul, fighting with one of her deepest problems.

"Raven, honestly, I don't think beautiful is a good enough word to describe what I see in front of me." She still didn't look at me, but I could see the smallest of blushes appear on her face, and the faintest of smiles. I couldn't help but smile myself. It made me happy to see her like that. She rarely did smile and seeing it at this moment made me realize just how much I loved to see her actually smile. I flinched slightly at that single word...love. That word did not need to be coming up right now. I suddenly felt Raven pull her hand from mine breaking contact with me but the loss of her touch only lasted a few seconds before two slender arms snaked their way around me and I felt Raven hug tightly against my bare chest. When I had been holding her a few seconds ago, she had been covered by her cloak, but now I could clearly feel her warm, soft flesh as it pressed against mine, and it felt good. I felt strange sensations coursing through my whole body, many I did not recognize and at that moment, I really didn't care to figure them out. I was simply happy that I was getting through to her.

"Thank you Robin. Thank you so much." I held her as she held on to me and the two of us simply stood there for however long Raven needed me there. I couldn't help but notice her scent. I wasn't sure what it was, wether it was perfume, sun tan lotion, or simply her but it was intoxicating. I breathed it in as we stood there, the scent relaxing my body. Eventually, she pulled away from me, giving me one final squeeze before separating. She seemed like she was at peace now, seemed happy. Of course little did I know that she was also incredibly turned on right now but that was something that I wouldn't have known. She turned around and bent over to pick up her cloak and just like three days ago, I found myself with the flawless, firm behind of Raven right in front of my eyes. However, much more of it was clear in a bikini than had been in her leotard. I felt my eyes go wide and fought to repress a groan at the sight and the urge to reach out and grab it, to see if it was as firm as it looked. Damn hormones. They are only going to get me into trouble...or dead. The moment which seemed to go in slow motion finally passed and Raven was again standing straight up putting her cloak on. She gave me a look telling me that she was okay but still wasn't completely comfortable in her current attire in front of other people. I would be the only one lucky enough today to see what was under that dark cloak though I realized that when it came to Raven, there were quite a few things only I was worthy enough to experience, well at least in her opinion. She finally said something, breaking the silence that had been there for a bit.

"Lets go back to the others. I think its time to go home." I nodded as we both started walking down the beach. Even after everything that had just happened, an awkward silence had somehow settled between the two of us as we walked. I guess neither of us were sure what to say. I glanced over at her as we walked, she now with her hood down. The wind blew her hair back just a little bit and she seemed to walk with a small bit of satisfaction on her face. I felt myself smiling again. She finally decided to break the silence, catching me off guard.

"So I'm guessing an acrobat." I looked at her slightly confused.

"What?"

"You said you were a circus attraction, I'm guessing an acrobat because its really the only thing that makes sense. Of course one would look at your uniform and assume a clown of some type." I stopped and looked at her, unsure of what to say. First I didn't want to talk about who I really was or my past and secondly, did she just insult me? She noticed that I stopped and turned slightly showing me the smallest smirk before continuing on back towards the others. I continued to stand there for a moment before I finally came up with the perfect response.

"Hey!" And ran after her. She floated away, sending a small bit of black energy at my feet, causing me to fall down, landing face first in the sand. I laid there for a second, trying to figure out what just happened, coughing out some sand that had gotten in my mouth. I looked up at Raven who was hoovering above me still with that look of satisfaction on her face and a smile gracing her face. She was finally enjoying her beach trip. I shot to my feet, chasing after her. She decided to give me a fighting chance and actually ran on the sand instead of floating.

"When I catch you, you are in such trouble Rae." She kept a few feet in front of me and almost sounded like she laughed.

"What did I tell you about calling me Rae." I laughed as she tried to sound threatening.

"Well what did I say about calling me a clown?" I managed to get a hand on to her cloak as it flew back from her running. The sudden resistance to her movement caused her to stumble and so did I, both falling to the ground. We landed in a heap on the warm sand, both trying to catch our breath, though Raven finding a way to look more graceful while I openly panted for breath. She spoke to me as she looked into my eyes.

"Well the clown issue hasn't come up before, though I'm sure many people have thought it many times." I gave her a 'ha-ha not funny look' as I looked down at her, realizing just how close me and her were. Her hair cascaded around her head, probably getting tons of sand in it and I'm sure when she got up, she would be upset about that fact, but at that moment, she didn't seem to care at all, only continuing to smile at me with that so rare, so precious, so beautiful smile. I found myself getting lost in that smile, that face, that scent, this moment. Our bodies were intertwined on the sand, yet neither of us seemed to care. Well I knew she didn't care about the contact but for me, it was strange that I didn't immediately get myself out of the situation, and that probably was a poor choice. Something was driving this moment forward, something I didn't understand, and I couldn't seem to break my gaze from her face. My body felt like it was tingling from her touch, her cloak having fallen in a way so that her body was revealed, her skin touching my skin, heating both of us up. It happened before I even knew it was happening and I found my lips tasting the softness of her own on my accord, not hers. The kiss lasted only a few seconds before Raven pushed me away with a stern look in her eyes.

"We should stop this Robin. We need to get back to the others." She slowly pried herself from me, pulling her cloak back around her body. I could only look at her, not only confused by what I had just done, not only confused by what was flowing through my body and mind at this moment, but completely confused by Raven's reaction.

"Let's go Robin." She extended a hand to me, helping me to my feet. I shook a little sand off of me, giving Raven a strange look though she didn't look at me, only further fueling my confusion. She pulled her hood up and walked away, me following close behind. The silence between us as we walked back to the other Titans had moved far beyond awkward.

Reviewer Responses:

**evilsangle: **Ha. You'll make sure of it. You talk a big game but...I don't really know where I'm going with this. Thanks for the review as always and hope you enjoyed this chapter. Also, thanks for reviewing my one shot. Yeah Robin was pretty bad but I think that story really went well the way I wanted it to. A sad ending indeed.

**Cherry Jade: **Yeah, don't worry. I won't do anything unless I think its really good and entertaining, cause the goal is always to entertain. Raven was definitely down at the end of that chapter. I think it makes sense that she would have issues with herself, being demon and all but things hopefully will work out. Honestly, I have no idea if they will since I haven't planned out any of this story in advance. Feel free to rant anytime. Holding in things just leads to problems but trying to understand how people are is impossible sowhy not just relax. Oh and sorry for depressing you with that other story but I guess I was just in one of those moods. I think this one will make you feel better. Peace C.J.

**zadeon: **Interesting point and I'm going to have to agree with you on that one. Its good to be well informed. Anyways, thanks for the review and also for the one for my oneshot. Exceptionally kind words. Thanks.

**spiderbob: **Good points in that review. It was a pleasure to read. I think this chapter covers most of the things you were looking for, well almost everything but there's a good chance those things will be in the near future. Well thatz it.

**sailorgirl16:** Nice to see someone new reviewing the story. Sorry about the P.O.V. thing. I'll make sure to keep an eye out for that but this story is only Robin so it should go smoothly. Also thanks for the review for my oneshot. I guess the goal was to make the reader simply think after reading it so it looks like I succeeded.


	11. Chapter 11

1A/N: Sorry for the delay and sorry for the chapter being short. Its transitory. As in regard to the delay, I haven't been well lately and I have also been very busy. Hopefully things will go a little bit smoother and I'll have the next chapter out in the middle of the coming week.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 11

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

It is hard to deny the fact that I've found my self in a state of perpetual confusion as of late despite my most recent bout of clarity but no events have left me more confused than those surrounding the Titans beach trip. Raven...me and Raven...what the hell happened back there? One moment, I'm comforting one of my closest friends in her moments of despair, the next I'm chasing her around in a child-like manner, and then...well let me reiterate, what the hell happened back there?

I let out a deep breathe as I pace back and forth in my room, clenching my fists over and over again in frustration, falling ever so slowly back into the mind set that had consumed not that long ago. I couldn't figure something out, and nothing drove me crazier than that. It was currently the night after the day at the beach. We all had come home from the beach, a strange silence overtaking every member of the team as Starfire had filled both Cyborg and Beast Boy in on what she had been a part of, though no one said anything about it. Th second we had made it home, Raven had disappeared into her room without any words, without even acknowledging anyone. I could feel some strange emotion radiating off of her, something I could not identify, and I knew that it had everything to do with what happened between us.

Starfire had asked me if Raven was okay and I could see it in her large green eyes that what had happened was still bothering her, had hit a nerve in the emotional young woman, and I knew the actions of that jerk had reminded her of her own actions toward Raven, her own regrets. I really couldn't answer Starfire's question because I wasn't entirely sure what state of mind Raven was in at this moment. I knew Raven was okay with what Starfire had been witness to, but that which had happened outside the eyes of any observer was still a question, one enormous, confusing question. My own actions themselves were still a question. Why had I kissed Raven? Why had I felt the sudden undeniable urge to taste her lips, to feel their softness and warmth.

It had honestly felt like something outside of my own mind had been pushing me forward, had been fueling the burning fire of desire that had suddenly formed within the very core of my being. My need to feel Raven at that very moment when I kissed her had overridden any common sense or practicality that had been flowing through my mind only minutes before. When I really sat back and looked at what transpired, I realized that something had been wrong about the whole situation, something had overtaken me, something that was not me. As I called forth my vast detective skills, I found myself slowly piecing together the truth of exactly what I believed happened, what had been the source of my actions.

The truth of exactly what Raven's powers were capable of was beyond understanding, a mystery to even me. I truly believed that the dark young women herself did not know the true depth of her powers. One thing I did understand though was that her powers were somehow directly linked to her emotions, sometimes bringing destructive consequences. As I thought these facts over, I was reminded of another incident not that long ago, when Raven had been sleeping next to me dreaming and exactly what the results were of her powers combining with that particular dream. I also remembered that the burning lust she had been feeling had found a way to equally affect my own mind and thoughts, had found a way to flow through her empathy into me. I doubt she was doing this intentionally but as I knew, Raven did not have complete control over her powers, especially when she was in any kind of extreme emotional state.

What did all these thoughts mean to me? It meant that the force I had felt pulling me toward Raven had been her own love, her own lust, her own feelings. Once again her emotions had found a way to affect me and I believed that was why she had stopped the situation after only a single kiss, because she knew that it really wasn't entirely of my choosing to escalate that particular situation. I realized that this was a particular cold and simple way of looking at a situation that had probably meant quite a bit to Raven but it was most likely the true way of looking at the situation. I knew I needed to talk to Raven about it, get some type of confirmation, get some type of understanding between the two of us about what had happened.

However, there was still one lingering fact in my mind that caused me to question all of my conclusion. Even after the passing of time, with Raven no longer near me, her influence gone, I still could not get the memory of that kiss out of my mind, could not forget the feel of her body, the feel of her lips, the warmth she had given me. The memory made me feel...I really didn't know what it made me feel but it was definitely something good. I guess all it meant was that after a brief interlude of relaxation things were finding a way to become complicated again. Of course I could never know just how complicated things would become.

I placed my mask back on, having taken it off when I was in my room, and left my room, intent on going to talk to Raven. Situations like these were becoming far too common. On the way to Raven's room I found Starfire walking the other way down the hallway. Her face brightened considerably when she saw me, greeting me with a warm smile.

"Hello Robin. How are you faring today?" I couldn't help but return the smile. Her smile was truly infectious.

"I'm doing good Star. Just on my way to talk to Raven. We still have some things to discuss from yesterday." Her face showed the faintest hint that it bothered her that I was going to talk to Raven but it was quickly gone. She was doing her best to not let jealousy overtake her again and had drastically improved her demeanor in only the short amount of time since discovering Raven's feeling for me. It was truly a remarkable transformation for someone who had been so angry with that fact.

"Yes, I was just talking to friend Raven. She seems distressed though I get the feeling that it doesn't have anything to do with yesterday. Her mood is most...unusual, even for Raven." All I did was simply nod my head as I wasn't going to say anything about what happened between Raven and me. First of all it was a private matter. Secondly, I wasn't willing to tempt fate by finding out just how controlled Starfire had become with her rampaging jealousy.

"Well I am going to go cook some food for Silkie so I shall talk to you later Robin." I said goodbye as she floated away toward her destination. I watched her leave before starting again toward Raven's room, quickly finding myself there. I knocked firmly, yet not to loudly on the door and waited for a response. The door opened the slightest bit, Raven peering out from the ever present darkness of her room.

"I figured you'd show up eventually Robin, please come in." The door opened up just enough for me to walk in and I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dark conditions as the door slid shut behind me. Raven sat down on her bed lightly and gestured for me to sit next to her. I obliged slowly taking my seat about a foot and a half away from here. We sat in silence for a few moments, her probably waiting for me to talk, me not quite exactly sure what to say. I noticed that she was nervously tapping her foot on the ground though the rest of her body seemed to epitomize calm. As was becoming very frequent as of late, her behavior was unbelievably uncharacteristic for her.

"Well I guess you probably know why I'm here since you have been avoiding me since it happened." She meekly nodded.

"Well I guess I'll just get to the point. Your powers...they were influencing me weren't they." Again she meekly nodded though she did respond to my question. Her voice was quiet.

"I'm sorry Robin. Please know it was not intentional. Its just my powers are hard to control when I'm emotional and everything that happened and being with you and..." I grabbed her small hand in mine as I heard something crack somewhere in the room.

"Calm down Raven," I gave her my biggest grin.. "You're rambling." She looked at me strangely for a few seconds before the smallest of smiles was detectable by the curving up of her lips.

"Its okay Raven. I know you wouldn't have done this on purpose." Her face went blank though her voice was slightly shaky.

"But I did create that bond on purpose to tell you how I felt. How can you so easily believe I didn't do this on purpose." I gave her a reassuring smile rather than my huge grin.

"I just know Raven. I just know." She let out a small breath of relief, barely noticeable then lowered her head as if she was ashamed, not meeting my gaze anymore.

"I'm still sorry Robin. If I'm going to have emotions, I should be able to control their effects. Its not fair to you to force you into situations you don't want just because I'm too weak to be in control." I felt my body stiffen for a second.

"Raven..." My voice was stern. She did not respond. I repeated her name and slowly placed my hand under her chin, lifting her face to see her eyes.

"You know I don't like when you talk down about yourself Raven. You aren't weak, in fact, you are one of the strongest people I know." Her eyes widened for a second before settling on meeting my gaze, as if she could see my eyes through my mask. We stayed like that for a moment, before she turned away with what appeared to be a slight blush in her cheeks though it was hard to see in the dark of the room. I realized that I was still clutching her hand in mine and sheepishly let go. I hadn't even noticed I was still holding it but I did notice just how natural it felt. I was slightly startled when she spoke, having been lost in my current thoughts.

"I'm still sorry about everything." My response was out of my mouth before I even realized it.

"Its okay Raven. Its not like I didn't enjoy everything that happened." It felt like the entire room found a way to be even quieter than dead quiet as Raven looked at me with a look of complete surprise on her face.

"What did you just say Robin?" Her voice was soft and so very hopeful sounding. My mind sputtered, refusing to cooperate with any part of my consciousness.

"I...I..." Suddenly an alarm was heard, signaling that there was trouble. It took me a few seconds to respond, jumping to my feet thanking whatever higher being existed for this timely intervention.

"Raven there's trouble!" I turned to her, finding her still sitting on the bed, looking at me with a strange look on her face, before slowly nodding and pulling her hood up. She stood up and engulfed both of us in her soul self taking us to the main room. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire were already there standing over by the window rather than the computer.

"What's going on Cy?"

"Man get over here, your not going to believe this." I ran over and instantly realized what he was talking about. A full moon was in the sky, making it a very easy night to see, and right out in the water, on an oil rig was Dr. Light making the night even brighter. All I could do was shake my head at the sheer stupidity of the sight. A villain attacking a target that we could see from our home. Cyborg spoke again.

"Man I guess the crazies always come out on the full moons. I guess it doesn't help that it's Friday the 13th too." I couldn't help but chuckle as I turned around, finding Raven standing a bit farther away from everyone. Even though her hood was up, I could see a panicked look on her face though I only chalked it up to the fact that it was Dr. Light and the fact that she had once lost control fighting him. However, it was not the time to dwell on it as we had a job to do.

"Alright Titans, lets go!" We all took off toward the T-car which Cyborg had modified to go over water. Had I stood there for a few more seconds, I would have heard Raven muttering something in a voice filled with fear.

"I can't believe I forget, let Robin distract me this much. Tomorrow...tomorrow is the day."

Reviewer Responses:

**spiderbob: **I guess you have to be more creative when your completely clueless and its always fun to write chapters like that so they usually turn out pretty good. This chapter answers some questions but it also sets up pretty much the rest of the story which I'm sure is pretty obvious. Anyways, thanks for the review, sorry about the delay, and enjoy.

**evilsangle: **Sorry about the delay but I'm sure I'll be forgiven after a few hopefully quick updates. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

**Cherry Jade: **Hey I'm not the best, I'm just damn good, jk. That review to you was probably long overdue, I'm just glad I finally got the time to do some reading and your story was at the top of the list. I also noticed after reading stories that it seems like there's dozens of authors always thanking you or praising you for something. You're a legend it seems. Glad the chapter made you happy, I figured it would with all the Robin and Raven moments. Hope this chapter was acceptable, it was rather difficult for me to get it together so I am questioning its quality.

**zadeon: **Hope this chapter makes the ending of the last one clear enough and I'm positive now you know my direction for the story. Well I'm sure you know I read your story because of my review but I'm sure I'll be getting back to reading it soon.

**BigBlackWoman: **New name I see. Anyways, thanks again for the review and I'm sure its gotten pretty obvious that this story is almost guaranteed to be RR so that should make ya happy.

**Blizzard:** Thanks for the first time review. Glad your enjoying the story and hope you will continue to enjoy it.


	12. Chapter 12

1A/N: And so it begins...or is it so it begins to end. The darkness will not allow what it owns to be free for very long and darkness runs deep even when it is hidden away.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 12

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

The battle...well the battle ended, and I still feel a slight chill up my spine at the thought of it. Raven...Raven ended a difficult battle. For all of Dr. Light's stupidity in planning and enacting crimes, he always made up for it with incredible technology that did well to combat each of the Titan's strengths. However, there was always one thing he count never counter and that was Raven...if you can even call that form of her Raven. I remember the first time I had seen it, the very first battle against Dr. Light. Her eyes glowing burning red, her form darkening into an endless black, those whipping tendrils of dark energy, and most of all, the malicious and distorted sound of Raven's voice as she pulled Dr. Light into oblivion. His screams still echo in the darkest corners of my mind, places where I try to forget things, his high pitched shrieks that could only have been born of pure terror. I also remember the look on Raven's face as she gazed down at Dr. Light's trembling, curled up form, when her beautiful eyes had regained their normal color. It too was one of fear, a fear that rarely found its way into the stoic young woman.

To this day, I have no idea what happened during that battle and a small part of me is glad I have no idea because that means there is no answer to the question that still haunts me on those stormy, dark nights...what possibly did Dr. Light see to turn him into a shaking, muttering, broken man. It took over a year before he appeared again and it was obvious he was not the same. He is, to say the least unhinged, and it is clear the mere sight of Raven either caused psychotic rage or paralyzing fear in the once dangerous criminal. His grip on sanity is not a grip at all, but rather a few fingers barely hanging on to the cliff that is stability.

I never asked Raven what happened that one time, never questioned what she had done, allowed her to drift back to her shadows to be left alone. Even when Starfire asked over and over again, I denied her requests to go talk to Raven because I knew that like me, she would find answers to her problems alone. Of course, another reason was that I don't think I was ready to venture into the realm that was Raven, was not ready to see what lied beyond that ever present cloak and beautiful amethyst eyes.

I first met Raven about two years ago, when a small, lonely little girl wrapped ever tightly in a dark cloak came to a scrawny, idealistic sidekick with the idea of forming a young group of superheroes. I readily agreed to this idea, knowing it was my chance to proof myself, to escape the arguments and tension that had grown far too great between me and Bruce, things that had now been thankfully settled. The first time I met Raven, I senses something almost foreboding about her, something that told me to run away almost, but one look into those eyes of hers told me she was sincere, she was a worthy person to fight along side with. The rest is history but tonight, that foreboding sense has returned to me...something...something is on the horizon. It is just not Raven that I get the feelings from, it is the bright moon, the flowing wind, and something I can't put my foot on. The last time I felt a feeling so strongly, I was an apprentice a day later.

I watched Dr. Light hand himself over quietly after only a flash of Raven's form from the first battle. Again I saw the raw terror in his eyes. Raven did not celebrate a victory, did not comment to any of us, but rather defensively said no to going out for a bite to eat, muttered something about wanting to get home before tomorrow, and flew off to our home which was so very close. I think I was the only one able to see it though, the only one capable of reading the small bits of emotion Raven let herself show in front of others when she didn't want to reveal anything. There was the smallest bit of fear in her eyes as she fled home. I had seen that fear once before and had neglected to pursue it, rather left Raven to its icy touch. However it has returned and this time...I think this time I am ready to confront Raven and along with that sense of terrible foreboding I feel, I get the feeling that nothing will ever be the same when I finally find out what could cause Raven to have that hidden fear in her eyes once more.

It is already the next morning, sleep had not come at all to me, and I now find myself pacing back and forth in the kitchen. I'm deeply tired but my mind continues to frantically analyze what had occurred, what Raven had said, what all these feelings I'm getting could mean. Nothing seemed to make sense. My mind was chaotic yet strangely, I had one reoccurring image in my head that was peaceful nonetheless. It was the picture of a purple haired young woman lying on the beach with her intoxicating scent and such a wonderfully precious smile on her face. I found myself stopping and blinking for a few seconds at my words. Wonderfully precious? What the hell was that. Am I turning into Starfire all of a sudden? I shook the thoughts, cobwebs, and weariness from my head and decided to make myself some coffee. Eventually I knew I would go straight to the source of all of this, but I would give Raven just a little more time. I would not rush this even though I would have my answers this time.

Suddenly, I heard the arguing of two of my teammates along with the gentle voice of our resident alien princess. Cyborg and Beast Boy rushed it clammering about what to eat as Starfire floated behind them trying to understand some of the various insults that flew by. I couldn't help but smile as Cyborg said a particularly colorful one and the way Starfire cocked her head to one side as she tried to understand it, her large green eyes with a look of intense concentration yet confusion, it was simply adorable. It seemed like it took several minutes before anyone even noticed my presence around the kitchen. Beast Boy was the first and his eyes widening with the glint of mischief upon him seeing me told me something was up.

"Yo Rob, youarenotgonnabelievewhatIfoundoutlastniteboutRaeItsincredibleitsgonnabesomuchfun!"

I stared at the green shapeshifter, feeling my brain throb at the loudness and speed at which he spoke, trying to do my best to comprehend it in my sleep deprived mind.

"Mind repeating that slower Beast Boy. I had a pretty long night." His body seemed to be shaking ever so slightly in excitement which really got me worried. A Beast Boy this excited was either going to do something very stupid, very destructive, or very detrimental to the well being of a member of the tower which was usually stupid and destructive. He seemed to take a few deep breaths, doing his best to calm down which actually impressed me as he usually repeated the same thing over and over again at speeds that weren't understandable. Sometimes I would have to resort to Cyborg replaying a recording back at slower speeds to finally make some sense of the rambling.

"Rob, this is incredible new. Remember when Raven said she wanted to get home before tomorrow, like tomorrow was something important, well I found out what it is. You see I had a hunch and went all secret spy and stuff and hacked into some of your old files..." I held up my hand to stop him giving him a curious eye.

"Let me get this straight...you, Beast Boy, had a hunch, an idea, and then was capable of hacking into my files? Something seems a little strange here." I glanced over at Cyborg who seeing my attention move toward him decided to nonchalantly whistle a tune as he now focused intently on his cooking. I looked back at Beast Boy who had a sheepish grin on his face.

"Alright, it doesn't matter how I came across this info, it just matters that I did. Today is our resident empaths 18th birthday!" His voice rose in pitch as he screeched out his world moving news and even I found myself shocked by it. So today was Raven's birthday. Why had she been so concerned about it as she appeared to have been? It didn't make a whole lot of sense. I've heard of people not being a big fan of their birthdays but I knew she had been afraid last night and nobody was afraid of their birthday's...well with the exception of some women when they turn 40. Starfire's giggling broke my thoughts as she exclaimed how wonderful it would be to celebrate Raven's birthday. I'm sure in Starfire's mind this was an opportunity for her to show Raven how much she still cared for her and still how sorry she was about how she acted. Cyborg and Beast Boy probably just saw it as an opportunity to cheer Raven up after what they had heard about on the beach and the seemingly bad mood she had been in since then. As they all started talking about all their great ideas for the party, all I thought about was how this couldn't possibly turn out good for anyone...most especially Raven. There must have been a reason no one knew it was her birthday, why she hadn't told anyone. I must have had it on my original files those two years ago when we formed the Titans, probably some forgotten record I had her fill out in my process of being thorough. Who knows but the bottom line was that she didn't want any of us to know. Did it bring back bad memories for her? Did something tragic happen years ago on her birthday? I knew nothing of her parents but maybe something happened to them on her birthday...just like for me, December 15 would always be the most painful, most hated day of the year, the day I lost my parents to cruel fate.

Again Starfire pulled me from my thoughts as she appeared in front of me, her hands clasped together in front of her with the fullest of smiles on her face.

"Oh shall the celebration of Raven's birth not be glorious Robin." I gave her a weak smile, tried to look enthusiastic but failed miserable, that fact evident by the slight fall in her smile. It seemed Beast Boy and Cyborg took notice of it too.

"What's wrong man, you don't like parties or something?" came Cyborg's response.

"Its not that Cy, its just do you really think Raven wants to celebrate her birthday. You know she hates any type of party and if she really wanted to celebrate her birthday then she would have told us." All there grins faltered seeing that I wasn't on the same page as they were but it was Cyborg who was the first to respond.

"Come on man. Nothing big, just us, some food, some music, and a pinata that looks like Beast Boy. You can't possibly tell me Raven would not absolutely love that." Beast hastily replied.

"Yeah man, you can't tell me Raven would not..." It finally settled in what Cyborg had said and he turned toward his mechanical best friend.

"That's so not funny man." I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the scene along with Cyborg as Beast Boy did his best to seethe and Starfire did her best to figure out what a pinata was. I suddenly felt a wave of sleepiness hit me hard, reminding me that I never did get to my coffee, but something told me a few hours of sleep would be better.

"Alright guys. I need a little bit of sleep. Don't do anything for now until I'm back awake. We still need to discuss this. Give me three hours and then we'll figure out if a party really is a good idea." All three nodded as I slowly walked away toward my bed, too tired to see that mischievous grin once again cross the face of Beast Boy. More in my mind was thinking about how to stop this party idea and exactly what I would say when I went to talk to Raven. The latter was the most important thing in the world to me right now but I definitely wanted a clear head before I took that foreboding endeavor upon my shoulders.

I found myself waking up in my bed, feeling more comfortable than I had in a very long time, not wanting to move from my spot. I felt like I had slept for days but it had to have been less than three hours because my alarm I had set hadn't woken me up and that had been set for exactly three hours. I looked over at my clock, let the number settle in for a few seconds, registered in my sleepy brain exactly what I was looking at, and then shot up from my bed. I grabbed the clock, willing the numbers to change completely but only received the slight electronic chance of a 5 to a 6. It was 8:06 and it was P.M. How the hell was it 8 at night? I had went to sleep at 8:30 in the morning and my alarm should have awoke me at 11:30. What happened? I studied the clock for a few seconds before it finally dawned on me. The alarm was set for 11:30 P.M, not in the morning. I hadn't slept through my alarm, I had set the wrong time in the clock. How could I have been so stupid? I was supposed to talk to Raven today and...oh no, oh please no. I slowly reached for my communicator which just started to buzz quietly. I flipped it open to see Cyborg's face.

"Hey man. You've been sleeping all day. We couldn't get you to wake up for shit. Anyways, we decided to go ahead and set up a small surprise party for Raven so you need to get your butt down here in about 10 minutes or your going to miss it." I saw a green blur shoot past behind Cyborg saying something about getting the cake in place and I could feel my heart jump. Cyborg broke the communication a second later as he turned around yelling at Beast Boy to put something somewhere else. This was not good. A surprise party, Raven, this strange feeling I was having. Please, please don't let her blame me for this. I scurried around my dark room looking for the pieces of my uniform, getting as fast as I could to the main room. It was time to run damage control if things went bad.

When I arrived, I found the room dark. I suddenly felt two strong arms grab me and pull me off to the side. I was about to protest when Cyborg silenced me, and very quietly told me Raven was on her way in a few minutes. I felt my body stiffen at this news and I couldn't shake this numbing feeling in my limbs. A small part of me told me I was being ridiculous and was overreacting and another part kept reminding me of that fear in Raven's eyes. I didn't have much time to debate over this with myself as suddenly the lights flickered on and three very loud Titans yelled surprise. My eyes didn't adjust quick enough to clearly see Raven but a small scream and her form disappearing into black energy into the ground was enough to tell me she had been frightened by the yell. Not a good start. The three other Titans looked around in confusion before Raven suddenly appeared next to Beast Boy looking quite angry.

"Who told you it was my birthday? How did you know?" Beast Boy, under the piercing glare of Raven, shifted with nervousness and fear. This time, his tale of how he got the information clearly included Cyborg in it or more likely, implemented Cyborg with him. I could actually hear Beast Boy gulp as Raven continued to stare at him. It was Starfire's cheery voice who broke the silence.

"Please friend Raven, this party was all our ideas. We only wished to celebrate and have fun with one of our dearest friend's on her birthday. If we have offended you somehow, please no we are all sorry." I watched as Raven looked upon the smiling Tamaranian, and the angry girls face softened.

"You didn't offend me Starfire. Its just my birthday is not worth celebrating." Cyborg was the next to speak.

"Of course it is dark girl. Look at all the stuff we got you." He gestured toward a table towering with food, ice cream, cake, presents, and a few unidentifiable items that could only be Tamaranian in origin. I was impressed they had gathered all this in such a short amount of time. "We also got this." My eyes widened as he actually held up a pinata shaped exactly like Beast Boy. Where the hell did they get that on such short notice? Raven responded sternly.

"No Cyborg, there will be no party on this day. This is not a day to celebrate." Her words emphasized that she was doing her best to suppress her emotions, her anger, and many other things. I could almost see the waves of emotion radiating off of her. Of course, Beast Boy, always being the one who had no ability to read Raven, always took the situation one step to far. Who am I kidding, a fricking mile too far this time. He smiled playfully at Raven, giving her a playful nudge with his elbow.

"Come on Raven. If you stay and have fun with us, I'm sure Robin will be willing to give you your birthday spankings." Booom! A surge of black energy engulfed the table of stuff, absolutely destroying it. I watched the scene and was sure that I even saw the ground begin to crack. I turned abruptly back to Raven, not noticing the shocked looks on the Titan's faces only to find her cloak disappearing down the hallway. I immediately left the others behind, chasing after her, calling out her name. She ran for about two dozen more feet before stopping. I could see black energy spiraling out from her body, all the lights in the hallway already broken leaving the two of us in almost total darkness except for an emergency light farther down the hall. Her body was visibly trembling though I knew not to get to close because of her power. This was the most out of control I had seen her in months and I knew her emotions were on overload for probably a lot of reasons. I spoke her name as gently and soothing as possible. She didn't respond but I decided to talk anyway.

"I'm sorry about the party Raven. I told them it wasn't a good idea but they really wanted to do it. They only did it because they care and wanted to show you that." I saw the black tendrils of energy recede a little bit. "If you want to blame some one blame me. I should have done a better job making them understand that you didn't want to celebrate your birthday or have a party or..." I was cut off by her voice. It was low and cold, filled with tremendous anger, making me take a step back. It most definitely did not sound like Raven, though I had heard that voice from her mouth once.

"Is that all my feelings for you are Robin, some type of joke? Do you sit around and laugh away with Beast Boy and Cyborg when I'm not around about my confessions and desires for you? Do you!" I heard a wall crack at this yell but I did not back down.

"You know I would never do that to you Raven. You know I would never do anything like that to someone who means a lot to me." Her laugh was dark and echoed the hallway. I looked around in the dark hallway and it seemed that there was no beginning or no end, only this spot where me and Raven were. However, as soon as it all began, it stopped. All the dark energy pulled back into Raven abruptly and her body stopped shaking, in fact she didn't move at all. Only stood there like a statue. I took a few steps forward and still she didn't move. I cautiously stretched out a hand and gently placed it on her shoulder and let out a small yelp of pain when my hand was burned. I hadn't even touched her skin, only her cloaked shoulder, and somehow it burned.

"Raven...please tell me what's going on. Please tell me." There was no response. "I know something is going on. Something about this day, your birthday, something bad, I just know it. Please let me help you." She slowly turned around and I felt my breath get caught in my chest at the haunted look in her eyes.

"Robin..." Her soft, gentle voice was cut off by the blaring of the alarm and once again me and her were interrupted by it. This time however, I was not relieved by the interruption, but cursed it. It was time for the Titan's to protect the city. Our problems had to be put on hold for now for the good of the innocent, though maybe in my pursuit of the cities safety I was looking over the most innocent of them all.

There was no message on what the crime was only that it was in a factory in the Industrial district. The second we entered the place, my eyes were instantly drawn to all the machinery, all the moving parts, all the enormous gears. It reminded me so much of him, of fighting for my life. It was that moment that my eyes settled on the one person I truly had hoped was dead, was completely wiped from the face of this planet. The name I spoke came out filled with such anger, such hatred that Starfire gave me a look filled with fear as she stepped away from me.

"Slade!"

**spiderbob:** I think those episodes had good ideas but were missing so much when it came down to it, well except Birthmark. That was pretty damn good in itself. Well anyways, glad you like where I'm going and hoped you liked the first chapter. Probably plenty more bad things to come because...well would you expect anything else.

**evilsangel:** Yeah it was kind of mean not to at least give her that but did you really think things would go that smoothly. Troubled water ahead and I'm sure you'll like what I have planned.

**BigBlackWoman: **Yeah it is kinda obvious where I was going but glad your still enjoying it. I hope to have a somewhat original spin on it all but lets see where it goes.

**Cherry Jade: **You have like the best, most elaborate, and encouraging reviews. Thanks C.J. Always great to hear from you. Glad your excited about where I'm taking the story cause the path is actually starting to help me get my spark back for writing which I badly need. You just don't explode from the anticipation because whose gonna wanna clean that up. Well thanks for all the kind words and hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lots starting to build up and I think we all know what comes in the next chapter. Now that will be interesting.

**Kashira Hibana:** Thanks for all the reviews you've been given me. Its always nice to get reviews when your really not expecting them. Glad your enjoying all my stories and I'll do my best to get everything moving on my other current project which I know your dying to read but have some patience please. Its still being created.


	13. Chapter 13

1A/N: And this is a long one. As I'm sure quite a few are aware, some of the rest of the story will be following the actual episodes quite closely, Birthmark more than probably any others. I've already done my completely original take on the prophecy and it took me like 60,000 words in another story so to keep things moving, that is why this story will focus more on the show storyline though I will of course have a few surprises...especially later. Anyways, hope this goes good and let me know what ya thinks.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 13

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

I could feel the rage building inside of me as I stared at the armored form of my nemesis. He was leaning casually against a piece of machinery on a balcony and I could tell by the glint in his eyes he was smiling. I knew he wasn't dead. I knew he would not stay gone and it was now clear that I had been completely right. I should have never given up searching for him, even if it would have almost cost me my life again.

"I hope its not too late Robin but I just couldn't wait any longer to come see all of you. It truly has been far too long. How have you been Robin? I'm sure quite bored without me around." Beast Boy was the one to respond first, his voice trying to sound strong but all of us close to him knew he was trembling in fear...in fear of the man who had ultimately taken away his love.

"You're dead Slade. We all watched you die. You can't be here." Slade only chuckled.

"But I am here at this very moment, right in front of you. And where is that treacherous blonde bitch? Still trapped forever in stone." I could detect the anger in Slade's voice, the anger he felt toward the one who beat him, the same anger that was in his voice when I tried to defy him as his apprentice. Slade did not enjoy failing in his plans, not one bit.

"No one cares what you have to say Slade, no one cares how you survived. All that matters is that I won't let you leave here as a free man. I won't let you escape again and I'll do whatever it takes." Again Slade's malevolent laugh echoed through the factory, somehow overwhelming the loud sounds of the machinery, becoming the only sound heard.

"I do not doubt your words dear boy. I know you are a man of your word just like me, always so much like me, but my goals for the time no longer just include you." I could feel my blood pulsing quicker and quicker through my body, could feel the raw hatred surfacing more and more with each of his words.

"Enough!" The other Titans jumped back from me, all except Raven. My voice boomed outward, penetrating deeper than any blade, and even Slade's eye widened slightly at the sheer intensity of my rage.

"This is between me and you Slade. This has always been between me and you. Face me now and this will finally end."

"Nothing would please me more Robin then to put you back in your place after all this time but like I said my goals no longer simply involve you." I watched as a strange symbol seemed to suddenly burn itself into Slade's mask at his forehead. It cast an eerie glow across the metal mask of the man. For the life of me, I could not pull my gaze away from that symbol, unlike anything I had ever seen before, in fact I knew I had never seen it before. However, that mysterious symbol was fueling that terrible feeling of dread inside of me and that was proof enough that whatever it was, nothing good would come from it. I finally pulled my thoughts away from the symbol, again focusing on my rage but before I could make any comment, I found myself completely in shock. Out of nowhere, an orange glow encompassed the body of Slade and fire itself had spawned in the palms of his hands. Suddenly, Slade made his move and a stream of burning flame was headed right at us. I yelled for the Titans to move and jumped out of the way of the attack. I glanced back to watch in horror as the flame, as if having a mind of its own, did not impact the ground where it should have, but rather changed angles, abruptly turning up in its path, heading right at Raven. I could see the look of fear in her eyes as the fire sped toward her and I truly believe that it was instinct, not conscious thought that formed a shield of black energy in front of her to protect her. A felt a small wave of relief pass through my body before turning my attentions back toward Slade, who was continuing his attacks on my team.

It was less than a minute into the battle and it was already clear that we stood no chance against this 'enhanced' Slade. As a mere mortal, Slade had been capable of holding his own against those who would challenge his evil, but now, with these seemingly limitless powers, he was decimating the Titans. It was only a speck in my mind, a barely formed thought, but the fact that it was there told enough. I was questioning if we would survive this battle, if we would finally fall to the villain we opposed, and nothing was worse than starting to believe in such a thought. I yelled out to Starfire as Slade sent her starbolt, joined with his flame right back at her, sending her falling. My yell caught the attention of Slade, who I had been incapable of getting near to attack since the battle started. His eye settled on me and again, I knew he was smiling under his mask. He motioned with his hand for me to come get him, and again my blind rage overtook me, thoughts of the falling Starfire erased from my mind. I charged him and he fled up into the inner workings of some of the machinery. I followed without hesitation, extending my bo staff as soon as I took flight after him.

We played a small game of cat and mouse, something that disturbingly reminded me of when I had been chasing a powerful figment of my imagination through the trees of a forest. Eventually he stopped, and I readied myself for battle, slowly moving around him, waiting for the perfect moment. My thoughts were so set on Slade, that I almost didn't notice that once again we were battling on gears, giant metal gears, just like in our battle of master versus apprentice, a battle that I would have lost had it not been for my friends. I did my best to tune out the sound of the gears turning, their incessant clicking and grinding, as I circled my target. As always he stood immaculate, arms behind his back, posture completely relaxed as if he didn't have a care in the world. The only difference this time was the burning mark on his forehead and the terrible power that I knew was contained within his body.

"Just like old times Robin." He extends his bo staff.

"Nothing I want to remember you bastard. You should have stayed dead. Nobody in this world wants you here." He laughs darkly.

"Oh I can think of one being who wants me here though he is not exactly from this world but I digress. You were going to threaten me and then attack me I assume." I grit my teeth, continuing my movements around the gear, Slade finally moving, completely in sync with me.

"Why are you here Slade? What is so important that you've shown your face again?" Slade says nothing but slowly turns his head, his eye now focusing on another Titan, other than me. I follow his gaze and find my anger increasing even above what I had felt before, for Slade's cold gray eye had settled on to a purple-haired young woman who was busy trying to help Cyborg to his feet. I find myself my growling at Slade, my fists clenching almost painfully on my staff. My voice comes out low, almost a hiss.

"You will never touch her. You will never hurt her Slade, I won't allow it."

"Hmm interesting. It seems your interest in her has grown just as much as mine has in her." He was obviously mocking me, his voice was filled with something that told me that he knew things he couldn't possibly know, knew things that happened between only me and Raven, and I instantly felt like someone had just punched me straight in my stomach. After everything that had happened, every hour of intense thought, ever minute of trying to understand truly who I was and what I should do, working through complex emotions and feelings, and in the end, my worst fears were coming true. My ultimate enemy was going after someone very close to me, and a strong part of me was telling me he was doing it only to get at me, only to hurt me. I felt something inside me snap and I threw myself at Slade, intent on crushing his head with my staff. As my staff swung down, he blocked it easily a few inches from his face. He pushed me away and his staff burst into flames.

"You have no chance here Robin. Leave now and allow fate to take its place."

"Never."

"So be it. I'll try not to hurt you too badly." The flaming staff came down and I did my best to block with my staff, only to find it seared right in half by the fire. I barely managed to avoid the unexpected attack that came through but my dodging was short lived as Slade kicked me straight into the chest, causing me to go flying off the gears. A long fall later, and I found myself slamming hard into the steel ground of a walkway. My body flared up with pain, and I found myself seeing nothing but blackness for a few seconds. All I could do was ly there as I watched Slade hover above everything, arms outstretched, looking every bit the part of the angel of death that finally had come for me. Blue energy started crackling around him, bringing absolutely destruction to the surroundings that were very fast becoming the Titans tomb. I forced my body to its feet, fighting back pain, only to stumble as the ground shook beneath my feet, I looked up as a large, menacing gear slowly fell over, with me sitting helplessly in its crushing path. At that moment, I wasn't afraid, but rather the thought that passed through my head as I realized I was going to die was that after everything that had occurred, wasn't it ironic that I would actually be crushed to death by a giant gear. However, a single voice ripped through all the chaotic destruction, a single word filled with such absolute desperation, with such raw need, that I could feel it within the core of my being.

"Stop!"

Raven could feel the fear consuming her entire being. The mere sight of the mark on Slade's forehead, the mark that had followed her entire life, and she knew...she knew. She watched, almost completely unable to move as her friends were being beaten down as if they were nothings, standing absolutely no chance by the one who now wielded Hellfire as if it was a toy. Why Slade? Why did it have to be him?"

She continued to watch helplessly as Robin squared off against his ultimate villain, who she now knew was just another pawn in a greater plan, nothing but a pawn...just like her. She finally forced herself to move, going to the closest Titan near her, Cyborg, doing her best to help him up, which was rather difficult considering his massive bulk. As Cyborg slowly stood up to his feet, Raven looked up just as she watched her beloved slam into the metal ground. She felt her heart completely stop as he didn't immediately jump back up as he always did when he fell, rather remained motionless for a few seconds on the ground. She wanted to run over to him, but Slade's attack was only getting started. His dark powers began to bring the entire place down around them, causing the other Titans to begin fleeing for their lives, but Raven did not run nor did her eyes leave Robin and when she watched in horror as his existence was about to slip away from her forever, she did the impossible, and stopped time itself.

The whole place took on a surreal quality to itself as fires had been stopped in mid spark, Beast Boy in mid change, but most importantly of all, a gear had stopped in mid fall. Raven let out a small sigh of relief at the sight though the moment lasted the tiniest of seconds for something still moved in this world, a chilling voice reminding her of that fact.

"That was truly impressive Raven. So much power and I simply had no idea but of course I know you are aware of who told me all about you." Raven inwardly cringed at the thought though did her best not to show anything to Slade. "I am sure you also know why I am here Raven. The time has come. It is time to fulfill what you were born to do. Destiny can not be denied any longer." Slade's word held such an absolute finality to them, that Raven couldn't help but shudder. Slade was now only a few feet in front of her and he quickly reached out, grabbing hold of her wrist. She felt a strong burning sensation where he touched and pulled away, surprised that Slade's grip did not put up more resistance. She stared at where he had touched her, her mind reeling with the reality of it all, as staring back at her was a burning red mark, a symbol that would only be recognized by very few beings in all realms. It was of a language of the darkest design, so evil in nature that even civilizations that knew of it, refused to speak it for fear of repercussions. It was the language of Scath and the symbol meant a single word: Portal.

Her mind wanted to give in to sheer panic, but she knew she was stronger than that. She knew what she had to do at this moment. She needed to save Robin. Raven formed a black talon of energy in her hand and shot it forward, hitting Slade, carrying him to the complete other side of the factory. Immediately, she took flight to Robin, who was still trapped in time, in an unescapable position for the boy wonder. She knelt beside him, quickly taking in his features. His face looked so calm even in the face of his coming death. It was very strange to see. She gently placed her hand on his chest, the touch sending a small bit of energy into him, and in an instant he was moving again.

He didn't move for a second or two, only blinking under his mask at Raven. He then, carefully took a look around, taking in the very strange situation.

"Slade stopped time. My god, just how powerful has he become." The response came from the man himself.

"It was not me who stopped time my dear boy. Rather it was your friend kneeling beside you who accomplished such a feat." Robin's eyes widened as he turned back to Raven whose eyes were locked on Slade, filled with that terrible fear that Robin knew had returned only recently to the dark young woman.

"Raven?" Robin said her name gently, in almost complete disbelief. Did Raven truly have such power? Raven slowly turned her attention to Robin, a harder look in her eyes now.

"We need to get out of here now Robin," and with even waiting for a response, Raven pulled Robin into her soul self, and a black raven fled away as fast as it could from destiny itself.

Eventually, Robin found his feet touching the ground again on the street outside the factory. He shook his head to clear it from slight disorientation as the rapid travel had not been easy on him.

"Raven, what is going on here?" His voice had a sharp edge to it, though he had not intended for it to be that way. Raven turned to him, doing her best to lock eyes with him through his mask.

"Its complicated Robin but it doesn't matter right now. We need to run, we need to get away from Slade.

"I won't run from him." Robin found his hand being grabbed from his side, two small, delicate hands pulling it to her chest.

"This is no time for blind rage Robin. This is no time to be foolish. We need to run. Please Robin...please..." Robin stared into the depths of the amethyst orbs that stared back at him as Raven pleaded with him. There was so much going on in the young woman's eyes that he found it difficult to not drown in it all. Raven continued to clutch his hand tightly, as she continued to plead.

"Please..." Her eyes closed now and he could almost feel her emotions trying to persuade him from the inside out. At this moment, she looked so small, so fragile, so vulnerable, and yet still so very beautiful.

"Raven...I..." It was at this moment that Slade decided to make his presence known again.

"I do hate to break up this moment between you two birds but I still have a message to deliver, so if you don't mind..." Robin instinctively put himself between Raven and Slade, a low growl coming from his body. Raven stood behind him now, still clutching his hand. Robin turned slowly toward Raven, meeting her gaze again.

"Raven...get out of here now. I'll hold him off." Raven went to respond but was silenced by a much sterner Robin.

"Raven...Go! I promise I won't let him touch you." His last words were soft, filled with warmth. Raven reluctantly let go of Robin's hand, before turning around and running, knowing full well in her heart, that as good as it was to hear those words from Robin, he had made a promise he would not be able to keep, a promise no one could keep.

As he watched Raven take off, he turned his attention back to Slade who had not moved at all.

"How sweet Robin. To you really think you can protect her from what is to come. Has she told you nothing?" Robin did not respond, but rather shot forward, delivering a series of devastating kicks to Slade's head. Robin heard a sickening crack of bone, that made him cringe as he landed back on his feet. He truly hadn't meant to do it, but that sound could have only been Slade's neck breaking. He had killed Slade but he knew that had all been too easy. He watched in absolutely horror as the body if Slade did not fall down, but rather remained standing with his neck bent at a clearly broken angle. Robin felt slightly sick as suddenly, Slade twisted his head back into the correct position, bones cracking and crunching back into place, his one eye once again staring directly into his very soul.

"My turn," and with that, a wave of burning death was unleashed directly at Robin. All he could do was stare wide-eyed at the flame as it came to consume.

Raven tried to run away, but she simply couldn't make herself go. She had only made it about half a block before she stopped. She clenched her tiny fists as she thought about Robin facing off against Slade alone, and despite all her fear, she knew she had to go back. She couldn't leave him alone against that monster. Suddenly, Robin's scream pierced the air as an explosion shook the very street and buildings in the vicinity. She felt her heart clench at the sound and flew as fast as she could back to where she had left Robin.

When she arrived she found a crater in the street, blocks of concrete littered everywhere, but more importantly, no sign of Slade and no sign of Robin. However, she didn't need to see Robin to feel him somewhere in the debris. She flew toward where she felt him and his presence was confirmed when some rubble started moving. She used her power to aid the movement, and a slightly bleeding, slighty charred Robin fell out into the street, barely being caught in the arms of Raven. She held him for a second, unsure if his eyes were even open, though she was at least happy to see him breathing.

"I thought I told you to run Rae." She couldn't help but smile.

"And I thought I told you not to call me Rae." He returned her small smile with one of his own, before slowly getting to his feet, though still supported by Raven. Raven began pulling him somewhere, she really wasn't entirely sure herself, and Robin offered no resistance. Somehow, Raven's eyes landed on a nearby building, the stained glass and symbols making it quite clear as to what it was...a church. Raven didn't know why, but she felt compelled to go into that building with Robin. Maybe, just maybe the sanctity of the place would protect Robin from evil's touch though she knew nothing could protect her, demons were never granted sanctuary. The two slowly stumbled into the building, completely unaware of the malevolent shadow following, enjoying this little game of chase. Eventually, the two stopped, right in front of the altar, with Robin being held protectively in Raven's arms. She looked down at his bloody face, his singed hair and skin, and almost allowed a few tears to escape though she fought them relentlessly back.

"Raven...I'm sorry for all this...Slade...its my fault he's going after you, he wants to hurt you...to get to me...because he knows, somehow knows...that I care so much for you." The words came out slowly, labored but Raven could feel all the emotions within, especially the guilt. She screamed on the inside, knowing that none of this was his fault, her mind, her heart screamed at her to tell him the truth, but she just couldn't do it. All she could do was just hold him there for a few minutes, silently as his guilt ate away at him. Heavy footsteps were soon heard, making no effort to hide themselves.

"Well isn't this a strange place to find you Raven. I almost didn't even bother looking for you in here. I guess you were foolish enough to believe this place would offer safety to the likes of you." Robin slowly rose to his feet, glaring strongly at Slade, taking a few steps away from Raven so that she wasn't in the battle. He would do his best to protect her, he had promised. Slade did not hesitate, and unleashed another wave of fire, but Robin quickly realized he was not the target. Acting on instinct, he dove knocking Raven out of the way only to be hit full force with the blast. He found his body flying like a rag doll, crashing through some wooden benches. His world exploded with pain, and he did not get up. He felt himself walking the fine line between excruciating consciousness and blissful unconsciousness, but he would not give in. He heard Slade talking though he was having trouble understanding the words.

"He is not the first to suffer because of you, nor will he be the last. However, I think he is the one whose fate matters most to you."

"You're here for me Slade. If you want to deliver your message, then you will have to catch me." Robin heard the swoosh of Raven's cloak and then heavy footsteps leaving. He found himself barely awake and alone in the church, lying in a pile of splintered wood. Half his body was numb, the other half was sheer pain. He reached down, deep inside of himself, and willed his body back into motion, every movement bringing blinding pain. Somehow, he got himself to his knees, slowly realizing the extent of his injuries. His right arm hung limply at his side. Nothing was broken, though his right shoulder was dislocated. Also there was a more serious injury as a piece of wood had impaled him through the side, the extent of the inner damage not known to him. Robin gritted his teeth, using his one good arm to pull himself up to his feet using a bench for leverage. He limped to his feet toward a nearby wooden column. He knew what he needed to do. Getting himself into position, he cleared his mind, trying to get into a slight meditative trance he had learned from his years of martial arts study. With one final calm breath, he slammed his shoulder against the column, a loud pop emitting from the joint. Robin screamed through clenched teeth as he regained painful motion of his right arm. He did his best to slow his breathing down, fighting back the pain as he felt his left hand grip on the piece of wood in his side. He ripped the wood out, the slightest sound of tearing flesh heard, and this time, Robin openly screamed in raw pain, his scream echoing through the holy walls of the church, his crimson blood staining the pure ground. He reached into his belt and pulled out a special pad that would help stop the flow of blood, though it was only meant for temporary relief. It took him a bit to place it over his terrible wound but the job was done. Robin then pulled out his communicator, looking for a very important blip on it, the only one capable of moving in this time stopped world. Robin let out a deep breath as he looked up at the large cross that stood behind the altar. Robin was by no means a religious man, having given up his faith long ago when two loving parents were cruelly taken away from him, but for this moment it didn't matter.

"Give me strength to protect her...please."

Raven fled as best as she could, employing the fullest extent of her power she could muster, but nothing stopped Slade, his relentless pursuit decimating any obstacle she tried to throw in front of him. He was gaining ground on her but she knew at least she had gotten him away from her friends...from Robin. In one last desperate attempt, Raven actually forced two building together, intent on crushing Slade between the two giant structures. When he didn't immediately fly out, she felt a small bit of relief, only for it to be washed away by Slade exploding from the buildings, tackling Raven in the air, slamming her into the ground of a huge tower located in downtown Jump City. She felt his crushing weight on top of her, finding it difficult to breathe. However, what was worse was that she felt several more burning sensations through out her body as his foul touch imprinted more symbols into her body. She wanted to cry out but couldn't find the air supply to do so. Eventually Slade was no longer touching her, and she slowly tried to get away, crawling like some pathetic creature away from its master. She only made it a few feet before she felt his hand grab her by the back of the cloak, tearing it off of her, along with parts of her leotard. She felt more burning symbols on her back, her shoulders. They felt like they were everywhere on her exposed body.

"Raven, Raven, Raven...you continue to try to fight something that was inevitable since your birth. I can't believe you are foolish enough to believe you can win this." Slade placed his foot on Raven, pushing her tired body over as easily as if she were a house of cards. Raven was now looking up at the man who now served pure evil, a man many though himself to be pure evil, they had no idea.

"You've never told them anything about all of this have you Raven, never once told them about the danger they were in from the second they met you. What kind of friend are you. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Or maybe it has nothing to do with you being a bad friend. Maybe it has to do with the fact that if they knew the truth, they would shun you, fear you, or better yet, try to end your cursed existence once and for all." Raven felt anger building up inside her, anger at Slade, anger at herself, and anger at the words that she knew were true. She tried to attack Slade only for him to catch her arm in her grip. He turned her around as she felt one last symbol burn itself into her body, his hands finally resting on the exposed skin of her shoulders.

"The message has been delivered. Now see what you will bring to this world." Raven watched in horror as time seemed to speed forward right in front of her eyes finally stopping, but she truly wished it hadn't. The scene in front of her was truly apocalyptic, nothing remained but the burnt out husk of the city she once protected, the broken, melting ruins of the tower she once called home. She felt her eyes moisten as she felt herself breaking on the inside. Her eyes finally found their way to 4 stone statues, in their last futile struggles against the hordes of a demon lord. The tears started to fall as she laid her eyes on each one of them, finally coming to rest on the final statue. His mouth locked in one last scream, his mask gone, eyes wide in horror.

"No...please no." Slade whispered in her ear, with clear enjoyment in his voice.

"It truly is something to behold and it will come to pass, all...because..of you." An enormous bellow pierced the dead air of the destroyed city as huge antlers rose up into the sky followed by a massive red-skinned head and four blazing red eyes. The eyes stared intently on Raven's form and a malicious grin formed on the face of the great beast.

"Soon my daughter, very soon." His dark laughter ripped through her mind and body.

"NOOOOOO!" Raven's scream matched the intensity of the laughter though the emotions contained within were on completely opposite sides of the spectrum. The whole word around her began changing, flashing back to the true time, to the still true form of the city. However, she still found herself being held there by the strong grip of Slade. A strangely cold breeze finally blowing again despite the warm weather, nipping at her barely covered body, her now long hair flowing in the wind.

"You can not escape your destiny Raven. You will become what you were always meant to, you have no other choice." A few small tears continued to roll down her cheeks as Slade continued to talk.

"You can not stop it. They can not stop it. They will all die because you Raven, are a far greater monster than I ever could be." With those final defeating words, Slade let go of Raven, her body beginning a free fall toward the street below. Slade smiled from above as Raven fell.

"Oh by the way, Happy Birthday," and with that he was gone. Raven felt herself falling but simply did not care. If she died, if she hit the ground below, never drawing breath again, then it would all be over, her destiny would be over, and they would all be safe. However, dying this day was definitely not her destiny. She suddenly found herself being caught in the air by familiar arms and a familiar scent of a young man she loved more than anything in this world.

Robin had seen Raven falling, had barely managed to catch up to her location in time to save her life. When he watched her, he felt his heart stop. When he saw that her clothes had almost been completely torn from her body, he prayed to whatever God would listen that the worst had not occurred. However, the moment he caught her in his arms, all his worry, all the immense pain coursing through his entire body was forgotten for a few brief seconds, lost in the reality of just how right it felt at this moment to be holding her. He landed on to the street, doing his best to make sure Raven barely felt the hard landing and there on the street, he held her just as she had held him in the church. He looked down at her, slowly realizing that her hair had somehow grown twice its length, but what was even stranger, that despite everything that had just happened, she had a very tiny smile on her face as she looked up at him. It was only for a second, and she soon closed her eyes and drifted off into unconsciousness afterward, but Robin had to admit that smile was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

Robin carefully pulled off his cape, gently wrapping up Raven in it, covering her very visible body. He knew she would not want anyone to see her this way. He picked her up, wincing at the pain that shot through his body, and turned around to find Starfire carrying Cyborg, and Beast Boy as a bird flying toward them. Cyborg was dropped down a few feet away and immediately began yelling.

"Would somebody please tell me what the hell happened back there, I mean that shit was just..." He stopped yelling as soon as his eyes fell on Raven's prone form, his mouth agape, no words finding their way out. Starfire however, started panicking.

"Oh what has happened to Raven. What did Slade do to her? Please tell me she is alright. Please tell me she is undamaged.?" Tears quickly started flowing down the Tamaranian's face while Beast Boy and Cyborg only continued to stare silently.

"Starfire...I need you to fly Raven back to the Tower. Get her to the infirmary. You can get there the fastest so I need you to do that. Okay Star?" She gave Robin a weak smile as she took the precious bundle from him and was off in a green flash toward the tower. Cyborg and Beast turned to watch Starfire leave, still in quite a bit of shock.

"Robin, would you please tell me what the hell happened?" Silence. "Robin?" The only response was a body falling limply to the ground.

**Logan X: **Thanks for the first time review. Always nice to here from new readers. I'm glad you like how I portray Raven in my story, it is an interesting character to write.

**BigBlackWoman: **Hey, your not the only one who wants to see where it goes. I'm kind of curious myself thats why I really have to start updating quicker. The suspense is killing me.

**evilsangel: **As always, sorry for the delay in updating. Just been busy. And actually I never really intended to bring the whole prophecy thing into the story but I got hit with a really good idea so it just kind of took me there. Lets see where it all goes.

**Spiderbob: **Yeah, I'm trying to be original as possible but it will follow those episodes as an outline. The original plot from the show was good, but it can always be made better and thats what I hope to do, put my own spin on things and honestly, I think my ideas will be better, though I did the shows ideas to make them so everything has a nice balance to it. Oh and don't worry. Even if I completely lost my spark to write, I still would never leave a story unfinished. I just think that's cruel to those who have actually taken the time to read the story. They deserve an ending.

**Cherry Jade:** Yeah, a nice, encouraging review always makes it easier to sit in front of the computer when your having troubling writing. I'm glad you think the chapter was better than the tv, so lets hope they all continue to do better or I'll probably be somewhat disappointed in my creation. Oh wellz, can't win them all. Hope this chapter satisfies everything you were looking for. Oh yeah, and obviously by how long it took me to write this chapter, the spark came and left rather quickly but it should return assuming my weekend of work doesn't drive me nuts. Well I guess that's it. Later C.J. and oh yeah, when are you going to update.


	14. Chapter 14

1A/N: So yeah...about that...ya see the thing is... ... ...yeah I got nothing. I don't think this chapter lives up to the last one, but how could it really. Anyways, enjoy, be merry, and take any complaints up with my home office in...Guam? Or simply thank Cherry Jade for yelling at me to get this updated. As always, I leave it up to you. Peace. Oh one last thing, I hate to shamelessly self promote myself but a recent review caused me to go back and read what I believe has become my forgotten story, my first and by far longest story If Only for a Moment in the Light. So the point is, if you've never read it, I suggest you do because you'll find that almost all my other stories stem from one way or another from that one.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 14

By: Finalitylife

The last thing Robin remembered was handing Raven off to Starfire to take her back to the Tower and then suddenly feeling incredibly tired. After that, there simply was nothing, only darkness. As he slowly found himself returning to consciousness, returning to the waking world, he realized he wasn't entirely sure where he was except that he was lying down on something incredibly soft and that he really couldn't feel much of his body. A lot of it felt numb and he had been expecting nothing but excruciating pain, that is if everything that had happened had really happened, hadn't been some type of deranged nightmare. Disturbingly enough, Robin found himself wishing it had all been simply a nightmare, had all been a product of his dark and obsessive mind. He realized that would more than likely make him crazy but at least then Slade wouldn't be back, Raven wouldn't have been targeted, wouldn't have been touched.

As he felt his mind becoming more aware, he fought to open his eyes which was far too much of a struggle. It was finally settling in just how much of a beating Robin had taken at the hands of Slade, just how close he had come to being burned to ash, or simply bleeding to death alone in a darkened church. He became aware that someone was tenderly holding his hand as he lied there, giving him a small bit of warmth flowing into a very dead-like body. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his eyes slowly opened, though they heavily resisted because of the bright light that seemed to be right above his position. As the room became clear to him, he found himself looking up at the tear-stained face of Starfire, who despite the swollen, redness of her eyes, had a large, warm smile on her face. It was her who was holding his left hand in her deceptively small ones. Those hands could easily crush solid concrete.

Robin couldn't help but feel warmth wash over him looking up at her smiling face and the way the light above her outlined her appearance, she really did look like some kind of angel. He did his best to return the warm smile though even forming a curve to his lips felt like too much effort.

"Oh Robin, I am so glad you are awake, I was so worried about you, when I saw Cyborg carry in your body...I...I thought..." Tears again started falling from Starfire's eyes and from her hands, Robin knew she was trembling, more than likely fighting the urge to give him a bone crushing hug that probably would result in his death. As further awareness returned to Robin, he realized his right arm was draped across his chest in a sling, a grim reminder of his confrontation with Slade in the church. He locked eyes with Starfire and again did his best to give her a smile.

"Its okay Star. It will take a lot more to take me out than that." Robin did his best to sound confidant, make himself sound like his old cocky self, but he knew deep within himself, that he probably should have died several times in this latest encounter with Slade, that in one skirmish, he had been reminded of his mortality and his weakness, that in one great act of someone putting absolute faith in him to protect her, he had failed...he had failed. The image of a half naked Raven falling helplessly flashed through his mind and he immediately shot up from his position, screaming at himself for not asking about Raven the second he awoke. Of course sitting up was probably the worst idea he could of had. Pain immediately shot through his side, forcing him to collapse over into the fetal position. The pain was immense and Robin managed to wonder how the hell he had found the strength to search down Raven if this was indeed the pain his body had felt then. Of course a little deeper in his mind, he clearly knew that answer. Starfire's hysterical voice was suddenly heard.

"Robin you should not have moved! Cyborg please come quick, I see blood. I thought you said you had healed him!" Cyborg hustled over, cursing under his breathe so that Starfire would not hear such words, finally addressing Robin with concern in his voice.

"You spiky haired idiot, what do you think your doing? You just tore out some of your stitches and now your bleeding again. Lay back down and let me patch you up again." Starfire gently helped Robin get back into his previous position as Cyborg went back to work, stopping the blood flow coming from Robin's wound. Through clenched teeth, Robin asked the question that dominated his entire being.

"Raven..where's Raven? Is she okay." Starfire again took Robin's hand in hers as she smiled at him again.

"She is right over there Robin. She has been sleeping since I returned her to the tower." Robin slowly turned his head looking past Starfire and sure enough, there was Raven in another bed only a few feet away. She was curled up tightly with a white sheet covering almost her entire body, her head on a large pillow. Robin once again noticed that her hair was long, far longer than he had ever seen on her. It was just one of many questions he had no answer for. However, what was on his mind the most at this moment was the fact that Raven did not look like she was resting peacefully nor did it look like she was restless. She looked like she was lifeless, dead, and that thought truly frightened him.

"Is she..." His question was cut off by Cyborg who appeared above him.

"She's fine man. Not a single bruise or scratch on her, heck not even a split-end which brings me to a question. How is it that her hair grew a foot in a matter of about a half hour. Last time I checked, that simply was not possible." Robin did not respond at all, only continued to stare at the prone form of Raven as he continued to try to mentally will her to move, show some sign of life, but he couldn't even detect breathing from the young woman it was so shallow. Robin finally turned his attention back to Cyborg who was staring strangely at him.

"Are you sure she is okay?" Cyborg easily noticed the complete and total concern that filled Robin's voice as he asked, and he knew he wasn't simply asking about her health.

"I don't know man. Like Star said, she hasn't even been awake since she was brought here. Its like she's off in her own world, not ready to come back to this one." Robin's body relaxed into a type of grim acceptance though his mind was frantic as ever. What had happened? Why had it all happened? Of course the why was all to clear to Robin, had been for a very long time. It was all his fault, all his fault for becoming too close to someone, someone that was now targeted by a sadistic monster with untold power. All...his...fault.. It was not long later that exhaustion claimed Robin, once again bringing nothing but darkness.

Robin P.OV.:

I found myself in a dark place, a place that I easily recognized though in no way fondly. It was the same twisted place of a nightmare I had...before everything started. It really did feel like ages ago. The memories of that nightmare were vividly etched into my mind, the taunts by Slade, the terrible rage, and Raven...covered in blood, her blood everywhere, her blood all over me, all over my hands. I felt my heartbeat starting to pick up, my breathing becoming heavier. I knew this was another nightmare, but I could feel the cold sweat forming on my forehead, a chilling breeze coming from all directions, swirling around me. Everything was real, far too real, and I started truly questioning if I was in this unsettling place as well as my sanity. Just in case, I reached for my bo staff from my belt only to find no belt there. In fact, I wasn't even in my uniform but rather what I was wearing in the hospital bed, including my arm held in a sling. I thought for a moment, a tiny smirk on my face.

"Well if this is really a dream, then it wouldn't hurt to lift my...AHHHHH!" I collapsed to my knees, clutching my hurt arm to my chest.

"Son of a...so much pain." I kneeled there for awhile, waiting for the throbbing pain to go away, and thankfully it finally did. It confused me why that would have hurt so much because I knew this was not real, it just couldn't be. Suddenly, whatever pain was left was forgotten as I heard a scream from far in front of me, a scream I somehow recognized though had so rarely heard. It was Raven and it sounded like she was in trouble. I stood up and blindly went running forward into this place, though it would not have mattered if I was paying attention or not as everything looked the same. I found myself moving slowly, stumbling every so often because of the awkwardness of running with only one free arm and a stitched up abdomen. Once again I couldn't help but be confused as to what was going on. How could a nightmare be so real... I felt my whole being darken for a second. I knew of one, one that hardly ever left my thoughts, a nightmare I had witnessed through two innocent eyes, and continued to see even when my guilty eyes closed. I shook my head clear as another scream was heard, only this one closer. Eventually something came into view, though what I saw only made me try to move faster. There on the ground was Raven, her tattered leotard barely hanging on her body, cuts and bruises marring her flawless skin, and towering triumphantly over her was none other than Slade, the darkest of nightmares born into human flesh.

At that moment, I didn't care if this was real, didn't care if this was a nightmare, didn't care that I stood no chance in my condition against this fiend. All I cared about was the young woman trembling on the ground and the promise I made to her that I wouldn't let him touch her. However, again my promise was broken, again I failed to uphold my word, again she had to suffer because of me. As I got within a few feet the ground suddenly shook beneath my feet and I found the ground springing up around me, creating a stony barred prison around me. I gripped one of the bars with my good hand, shaking it to test its strength. There was absolutely no sign of weakness in my cage. I stared forward as I caught Raven's terror filled eyes upon me, her mouth locked in a cry for help though she now realized help would not come. Slade turned his head around and his one cold eye told me he simply was dismissing my presence as absolutely nothing and turned back to his prey. I watched as he swiftly kicked her in the side, the sound of bones breaking clearly audible to me. I screamed out as Raven collapsed, painfully coughing up blood, it smearing all over her face. Showing no mercy, Slade again kicked her in the exact same spot and I couldn't help but close my eyes as that same sound hit my ears again. I began slamming my body up against the bars of my granite prison, over and over again, accomplishing nothing except more pain through out my body and more proof of my weakness.

Slade picked up Raven and tossed her in front of me, her body slamming into the ground just outside the cage. I kneeled down, reaching my hand out to her in some futile, desperate attempt to...I don't know what I am trying to do...just something. However, she does not reach back, does not look up at me, rather only mutters to herself.

"Robin...I chose you to protect me...why won't you help me...why won't you stop him from hurting me...you promised me you wouldn't let him hurt me." I cringed at the sound of her voice. It was so defeated, so deathly empty, to hear it scared me and broke me at exactly the same time.

"I'm right here Raven, right in front of you, I'm so sorry Raven, so sorry." She didn't seem to hear me at all.

"You promised me Robin...you promised me...I chose to trust you Robin...chose to love you...and all you did was abandon me, leave me to suffer..." I screamed her name, desperately trying to reach through the cage to her, almost feeling my fingers brush against her arm that was closest to me, but it was not to be. Slade appeared, grabbing her by the back of the hair, pulling her away from me to her knees. I glared up at him though my glare quickly became a feeble look begging him not to. A knife was now at Raven's throat, beginning to press against her soft flesh, drawing the faintest line of blood. I looked to Raven's bloody face and felt my heart completely die at the sight. Her eyes were looking right through me, contained no life, no hope, nothing.

"Why won't you help me Robin...why did you let him hurt me...why..." I screamed as there was a flash of metal and crimson stained everything and despite my own screams I could hear Slade's malevolent voice.

"You brought this on her Robin, not me. This is all your fault...my apprentice." Raven's lifeless eyes continued to stare up at me, her mouth still asking why, and all I could do was scream."

My eyes popped open and I could feel tears forming quickly at my eyes as I quickly clenched my eyes shut trying to erase the images from my mind. They would not leave...all that blood...those lifeless eyes... I found myself curling up into a ball, pounding my good fist into the bed.

"No no no! I'm sorry Raven, I'm so sorry. All my fault, always my fault. I should have never gotten close, should have stayed away, he would have kept away from her." I pulled my mask off so that the tears could fall. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." My could feel my voice fading away as I truly cried for the first time in a very long time. The guilt tormented my entire being and I never once noticed the soft padding of two feet as they approached my bed nor did I notice the shift in weight of the bed as someone got in with me. However, I did notice when two small arms encircled me from behind, taking very much care not to hit any of my injuries. I did not flinch nor did I become alarmed at this sudden appearance of another body in my bed or the fact that they were now holding me, pressed tightly up against my back. All I realized was how warm and comforting those arms were and the fact that they were there, helped push some of the dark images away. However, I could not stop crying nor could I stop pleading to Raven for forgiveness as she held me despite her gentle, soothing protests.

"Shhh. It's okay. I promise you Robin that you did nothing wrong, I promise that none of this is your fault, none of this at all." I slowly fell back into exhaustion, completely unaware of Raven's glowing hands as they granted me their healing touch or of the fact that she kept telling me that everything was her fault and that she was so sorry, so very sorry with tears of her own forming in her eyes.

And reviewer responses which as far as I know are not allowed so this might be the last time I do it in this capacity...just have to do this one more time.

**Cherry Jade: **Alright, put down the torch, I updated and for the record, craziness is all a matter of perspective. I look back at your review and I really feel bad for making you wait so long and giving a subpar chapter with that but lets hope this chapters satisfies your unhealthy addiction with my writing, and apparently sugar. Just kidding of course. Anyways, glad you enjoyed my birthmark in all its glory and hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Thanks again C.J.

**spiderbob: **I always seem to take a darker twist on everything, it just seems to make better writing in my eyes. Birthmark is a great framework for a story but like you pointed out, adding your own unique style and ideas can truly create something grand and I think my Birthmark had just a little bit of everything for the reader. The church seen was fun to write because there was such powerful connotation there that went well beyond words.

**BigBlackWoman: **Yeah it is a great episode, rates up with the apprentice episodes in my book. As always, thanks for your kind words and reviews.

**zhandemonhunter: **Yeah I have trouble writing combat scenes sometimes and I kinda skimped on the details last chapter because it was just getting so long and I kind of wanted it to end. I'll probably have one good combat scene in the future but I can't guarantee anything sorry.

**Kashira Hibana:** Your reviews always just seem to pop up out of nowhere and there always great to read. Congrats on being my 100th review for Finding Hope Again. I was looking for that landmark and you did provide and with a great review. SO thanks, sorry for the long delay, and hope to hear what you think about this chapter.

**evilsangel: **Your reviews always make me smirk just a little bit. Lets hope this story lives up to what your looking for because we all know where its going but what happens when it gets there should be interesting...I hope.

**Logan X: **Yeah I think you will find that my version goes quite a bit beyond the actual version and I honestly feels improves on it in a lot of ways. I gave it more depth, more feeling I think and that's what makes a good story. Anyways, thanks for the review and hope you finally got see Birthmark.

**alena-chan:** Now that was a well written, elaborate, detailed, and very kind review there from you. I think that's exactly what a writer truly wants in a review, to know exactly what aspects are the best from the reader and you did just that so thank you very much. I take pride in trying to find an accuracy to how I portray my characters and conflicts and I'm glad you find them to work well. Well I could go on and on, but I doubt you want to hear it so thanks again.

**ravenslair: **As always thanks for the reviews and I'm glad you like this story as well. Its been a tough one to write and I hope to get moving on it better soon. Epic? Maybe, but just have to see.


	15. Chapter 15

1A/N: Chapter is a bit transitory but if you read carefully, there is plenty here that really isn't said but is abundantly clear. I don't feel like saying much so enjoy this quick update to the best of your ability.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 15

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

What truly separates reality from the realms of nightmares? When one gets down to it, there's not a whole lot of difference. All the nightmares I've ever had are simply replays of the darkest memories of my past or are simply future possibilities that have not come to fruition yet, though in my experience, almost all of them have. It is a chilling thought to know that those things which frighten me the most have a knack for coming into existence, just like when Raven's unexpressed fear turned the tower into a house of horror all those months back. However, back then, we never were in any true danger, more or less just inconvenienced, but now...but now the nightmares are finding a way to draw breathe in my life once more, and I am far more afraid now then I have ever been before.

I knew I had fallen asleep with Raven holding me as I cried, something I never thought would ever happen in a million years. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Of course I never thought that would have happened either, but it did. Life always finds a away to be interesting, whether I want it to be or not. I don't know how long I slept for, though it was more passing out from physical and emotional exhaustion than actual asleep, but I did wake up, strangely enough from long purple hair brushing against my face, tickling my nose. I get the feeling it is still not time to be awake as no one has come into the med lab to check on either of us yet. The lights remain off, almost no sound in the air, except my barely audible breathes and her gentle breathing. There is no more pain in my body, no more aches and no more cuts. I know who I have to thank for that even though I do owe Cyborg a large debt of gratitude for making it possible to still be here. However, the one I know I need to thank for these miraculous, pain-free moments is lying curled up in my arms on a bed barely large enough for one person, sleeping peacefully.

When or how we ended up in this position I don't know but I do know that I can't make myself move to wake her and I can't make myself loosen my grip around her tiny body. Her back is against my chest, there is absolutely no room in between us. Of course, that was more the result of the small bed than anything...I think. I manage to pick my head up ever so slightly and ever so carefully so that I can gaze at her face and I find myself smiling contently. She no longer appears lifeless to me but rather I can see her lips curved up the smallest bit in a tiny smile of peacefulness, a peacefulness she seems to radiate as well, something I haven't felt from her truly in a long time.

However, I am not naive enough to believe that peace will last, the events of yesterday still far to blatant and absolute in my mind. There are so many questions and so little answers, and for some reason, I feel even less time. I heard Raven's words last night, as she told me that nothing was my fault and hearing it so gently and so warmly from her, I so badly wanted to believe that, but I just can't let myself do that, the reality within my nightmares will never let me believe that. Raven shifts every so slightly in my arms, seemingly trying to get closer to me which simply was not possible. She eventually settles into what seems as a more comfortable position for her as her tiny smile grows just a little bit. Her long hair shifted away from her face, revealing one of her ears. I stare at it for a few seconds and for the first time, realize Raven does not have her ears pierced. Such a simple thing that even the great detective did not notice. I guess it made sense. Raven was not flashy, never wore jewelry except for the one piece that never left her forehead, which was simply a part of her, so why would she have her ears pierced. It is such a strange thing to be pondering at this very moment, something that I just can't help but realize as my thoughts drift to the fact that Raven had cute ears. Such peaceful moments I know to be fleeting.

I study every inch of Raven's face carefully and stop as I settle on her eyelids, hiding the beautiful amethyst jewels that are just one of Raven's many unique and stunning traits. However, the image of her head and lifeless eyes and the guilt intertwined completely with them hits me, and I feel my body shiver ever so slightly, closing my own, unmasked eyes to try and gain control. Eventually, I settle down and am amazed Raven has not moved in response to my movement but just as I was exhausted, I somehow know my healing took a lot out of her as well. She is so selfless, I think more so than any of the other Titans, though most would believe Starfire or I had that honor.. As I think the Tamaranian Princess's name I can't help but realize how little I've thought of her recently, her presence completely slipping from my mind when she isn't visually in my presence. I remember a time when every waking thought was about her, when the Titans were still very young, and then came Slade, and my thoughts left her just that easily. Now Slade has returned, yet I find my thoughts are not completely about him or Starfire, but are almost entirely dominated by the dark angel beside me.

I reluctantly and very hesitantly remove my top arm from around Raven and I almost am positive I see her face pout but I'm probably just seeing things. I reach for my discarded mask and place it back over my eyes, once again hiding myself away from the world. I placed my arm back around Raven, settling back in for sleep, but not before making a silent vow to myself. No matter what was to come, no matter what I would face, I would protect her. I was truly willing to give everything that I was, suffer far worse than I did in that last battle, even to die, to make sure that Raven will always be safe and maybe one day, even be loved as she so truly deserves.

I felt a very cold hand nudging me that I somehow knew belonged to Cyborg. I let out a small groan as I had been so comfortable in my sleep which didn't happen very often. I quickly realized I was sprawled out on the entire bed, no one in my arms, no one beside me. My eyes slowly opened to find a very concerned looking Cyborg hovering above me.

"What's going on?" His look told me I should be in leader mode and I did my best to get into it.

"Well I was hoping you could tell me. Do you have any idea where Raven is?" I blink underneath my mask a few times.

"You don't know where she is?" I do my best to hide the great amount of concern in my voice and Cyborg doesn't seem to notice.

"Well she's not in the bed I left her in and she's not answering when I knock at her door and the tracking on her communicator doesn't seem to be working so no, I don't know where she's at. Its not like her to just disappear like this when she knows how worried we all are about her. She at least lets us know she's okay before vanishing to meditate. I sit up quickly, Cyborg raising his human eyebrow at the ease that I accomplish that movement and I am no longer in a sling, though he doesn't say anything as he can see my face locked in deep contemplation. Of course he does not know that in a way, I am trying to will the connection between me and Raven back into existence, so that I can simply feel where she is, and know she is safe. However, nothing happens, and I feel myself grimace in slight frustration.

I knew she couldn't be in the tower because Cyborg's security would have picked up her heat signature even if she was simply locked away in her room, simply refusing to answer the door for whatever good reason she probably had. I slowly stood up to my feet for the first time since I was put into this bed, feeling a few joints pop in response to this newly attainted vertical position. I do a quick stretch to get all the kinks out as Cyborg simply stands there waiting for me to say something. After a silent few seconds, he notices a small, knowing smile grace my face, and nods knowing that I somehow know where she is.

"Cy, how come you didn't bother to check in the most obvious spot for Raven, you know, the place she spends the most time meditating other than her room." Cyborg has a thoughtful look on his face before obvious realization hits him.

"On the roof! Why the hell didn't I think of that? I guess I really do need more recharging if I didn't even think to walk up there. Taking tare of you two birds takes a lot out of a guy." I smile placing my hand on his shoulder.

"And don't you forget just how much I appreciate it Cy. You saved me life and for that, I owe you a debt beyond simple value. Anything you ever need, just let me know." He returns the smile

"Man, you've saved all our butts plenty of times so don't worry about." He stops suddenly, a thought forming in his head.

"Actually, you can make it up to me by explaining to me what happened yesterday. What happened to Raven? Why did Slade go after her and what did he do to her?" I can hear the brotherly tone of concern in Cyborg's voice but all I can do is stand quietly, seething just a little bit, confused all the same.

"I don't know Cy...I just don't know but when I find out, you'll be the first I let know." He nods as I begin to walk away. "And right now, I'm going to go talk to Raven and hopefully get some understanding." I walk past him and get a few feet away before I hear him clear his throat to get my attention and I glance back, eyes widening for a second at the scene. He stands looking at me with a very strange look on his face as he holds up a very long piece of purple hair that he pulled from the pillow on my bed.

"Care to explain this one Rob?"

"Uhm...actually, I'd prefer not to Cy, if that's not to much of a problem." I see him mull over the words for a second before responding.

"Alright man, just as long as your not doing anything stupid, I won't push the issue."

"Thanks Cy." We give each other one last look before I leave the med room with a strong sense of necessity to get to the roof. I move rapidly toward my destination, completely aware of the fact that I feel physically better right now than I've felt in probably weeks. I somehow know that is the result of Raven's power, it having done more than simply heal my severe wounds, but also serving to give back my waning energy. I feel like I have an extra spring in my step and I only wish I had the time to do something more fun, more relaxing, than going to find Raven to stir up yesterday's memories to find some answers, answers that I know I needed but somehow know didn't truly want.

I finally made it to the roof, opening the door as sunlight hit me, causing me to wince slightly at the bright, warm light I hadn't seen for awhile. My vision quickly cleared and my eyes landed on the target of my search, exactly where I knew she would be. Near the ledge of the building, hovering just off the ground was Raven, wrapped tightly in a new cloak, her back to me, no visible movement from her form. I watched her for a few seconds before finally walking forward, slowly yet making no attempt to hide my steps as I was not trying to sneak up on her. I knew that she knew I was there, could always feel me when I was very close because of her empathic abilities, yet she made no effort to acknowledge me. My feet eventually came to a rest directly next to the floating young woman, though I did not turn to look at her nor did I say anything. Our two beings simply were there, both of us waiting...for what, I really don't know, though I think neither of us wanted to ruin the peaceful, warm moment with the conversation we both knew we needed to have. I needed answers and Raven, well Raven had completely other intentions.

"How are you feeling Raven?"

"As good as to be expected." I quickly scanned her voice, finding nothing to betray what she was feeling right now. It was her normal, emotionless droning which I had actually forgotten what it sounded like for a second as it had been a while since she chose to use that tone with me. I don't know why but hearing her voice like that caused me almost to cringe for a second.

"You gave Cyborg quite the scare disappearing from the med lab. You really should have let him know you were coming up here, especially...especially after everything that has happened."

"I am aware of that." Again, she seems almost dismissive of my words and I find myself slowing getting frustrated.

"I'm just saying, with Slade back none of us can be too careful."

"Indeed." I grit my teeth as I finally turn toward her.

"Is there any reason that you are choosing to be difficult Raven?" Her head slowly turns toward me, her eyes gazing out from under her hood and I quickly notice that her eyes look hardened, slightly cold. It is unnerving to see and I feel my heart clench slightly at receiving that look.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Robin. This is how I always act." It is a very strange response and I find myself with no response to her words or that look. I turn back to gazing out toward the bay, again silence is our choice of conversation. Eventually, I again try to talk.

"Well at least let me tell you how sorry I am Raven, for not being able to protect you yesterday. Slade is and always will be my responsibility and I am truly sorry for bringing you into my conflicts." I can almost feel her cringe at my apology and she finally responds with some emotion, annoyance and something else that I can't identify.

"I told you last night Robin that none of this was your fault. Did you think I was lying to you?" I opened my mouth to respond but again no words came out.

"Raven...its just that..." She cuts off my slight stuttering at looks at me again from under her hood and this time there is conviction in her eyes.

"Robin, I need you to...you need to understand what happened was not your fault. Nothing you or anyone could do could have stopped what happened on my birthday so please, let go of this guilt and stop doing this to yourself. You don't deserve it. I am the guilty one." Her last words are barely said above a whisper as she turns back away from me and I for some reason I just want to take her into my arms right now though I resist that desire.

"I'm sorry Raven, I simply cannot do that. I just can't."

"I am sorry as well Robin but I guess it really doesn't mean a lot from me because as of this moment, I am no longer a Titan. I'm quitting the team Robin...I'm leaving." I feel like all the air and energy was sucked from my body in an instance and I find my face locked in one of total disbelief as a small hand extends from under the folds of her cloak handing back to me her communicator, making it clear that this is really indeed happening. I stare at the communicator, then her face again, back at the communicator before again landing squarely on her eyes, which are still filled with that strong conviction. This all feels completely surreal to me. I came to find some answers, not for this...never for this. I remember when I first placed that communicator into her hand which had been even smaller back then, how she had completely flinched when I had accidently touched her hand with mine, as if she had been completely shocked to feel human contact. She was the first to ever hold that sign of the Titans and I knew I simply couldn't let it fall back into my hands.

"No Raven." My voice comes out weak and I hate the sound of it. I steel myself, drawing deep within myself for something more and this time my voice comes out strong, defiant. "No Raven, I won't let you leave. Not when there is so much danger out there."

"This is not your choice to make Robin, it is mine. You can either accept it or not, it doesn't matter because I am leaving regardless."

"I don't understand Raven, why now, why would you leave now?" I find my voice having the slightest bit of hysteria in it and again I berate myself in my mind for not sounding more confidant. She breaks contact with my gaze for a second before meeting it again strongly though her voice is a little softer now.

"Robin...I know you would understand my reasoning because we are both very similar, both know what the right thing to do is, both know the importance of those we care about but I simply can't explain everything. It is simply best that you never know the truth.

"Bullshit Raven. I have the right to know. I'm your leader dammit." Something flashes through her eyes at my last comment, as it gave her slight pain to here those words but again her eyes harden as they look upon my face.

"You are not my leader anymore." She places the communicator in my hand, forcing my hand to close around it with her own. The contact is brief yet still finds a way to be comforting and I truly miss the contact when its gone. She turns away from me and floats a few feet away but then stops.

"There are things that should never be understood Robin, frightening and terrible things about me." I wanted to say something but I couldn't will myself to do it. It was if I knew this could be the last time I ever hear her voice and I didn't want to interrupt that moment. "When I said none of this is your fault, I truly mean that as undeniable and unyielding truth. This is my fault, always has been, always will be. My past is returning, my personal demons rising again, and because of that, I must go."

"Please Raven, don't go. I just don't understand..." Again I feel shame at how pathetic I am sounding, but really all I know is how totally and completely it hurts to watch her leaving the team...and me." Her head turns one last time toward me and I see so much in those amethyst eyes, including so much pain. Her voice that comes out is no longer cold or full of conviction, but rather it is full of defeat, reminding me of my nightmare and all I want to do is scream out to her though I can not do it.

"I hope...I really do hope you never truly understand Robin because I don't think I could handle how you would look upon me if you truly understood just what I am." Those final sad words and she flew away, no longer a Titan, but still completely in my thoughts and my heart.

Reviewer Responses:

**BigBlackWoman:** As always thanks for the review but sometimes a simple thank you is never enough to show the appreciation I have to my reviewers.

**evilsangel:** Come on now, you've read enough of my work to know nothing ever goes easy so why would that change. Here's a quick update to make up for the long layoff before so lets hope it goes well.

**Cherry Jade: **Its always good to have a few followers though I think this chapter will be a little less exciting than you would have liked but it had to be that way, plot development and all so lets just see how quick you are to pick the torch back up. I mean with your addiction to his story, I guess it would be bad to just kill off all the characters next chapter and end the story wouldn't it but I doubt that will happen. I have a feeling you'll be bouncing off the walls in a few chapters, actually I can almost guarantee that so I hope, for your sake, I can some fast updates.

**Spiderbob: **The nightmare was fun to write and I'm glade it seemed to make all the points and emotions I intended it to. I find I am amazingly good at writing nightmare scenes and for the life of me, I have no idea why that is. Anyways, as I'm sure your aware this chapter was a bit slower but it kind of had to be for the purpose of the story but things will always get better as far as Im concerned. Thanks for the review and should have another chapter out sometime this week.

**ravenslair: **Thanks for the review and as I'm sure you noticed, Robin is still quite confused about everything, but really, what's the fun in having all the questions answered so quickly. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and the next one should be out rather quickly. Let's hope all my ideas find a way to come together.

**MyChemSweetie:**Yeah it has been a while since I've gotten a review from ya and as always, thanks for such a kind, enthusiastic review as well as the recommendations you give to your friends to read my work. Its good to know more people are out there reading these stories I create. Confusing the titles isn't all that strange, cuz lets be honest, almost all my stories pretty much have interchangeable titles when you get down to it. Each title would work for each story in a way. Anyways, thanks and hope this chapter met the high standards you seem to hold my work to. Peace.

**storiestotell: **Welcome to the party. Always nice to see a new reviewer and glad you've found the story as interesting as I intended it to be. Hope you've caught up with reading the story so far and enjoyed this newest chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

1A/N: So over the past few days, I've coughed up more lung than is contained in the human body. Strange, I don't feel any lighter. Anyways, not my best work. Some interesting tid-bits but mostly just low level plot progression. I think it overshadows the fact that I wrote my 250,000 total word today. Ain't that somethin or maybe its not. More than likely I'm the only one who cares about this milestone.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 16

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V

In my mind I could still see Raven floating off toward the city, away from the tower, away from the family she had made there, and away from me. If everything that did happen is truly happening, then I know she has ever intention of being gone forever.. It was something I could feel from her though I still don't understand anything as to why she left, why Slade was after her, or what I could possibly have done to have kept her with all of us.

Raven had said her past was returning and it was the reason she was leaving. Sometimes I forget that I truly know nothing of Raven's past before I first met her two years ago, know nothing of her childhood, original family, or even where she was from. According to all the records I really ever had on her, it was like she just one day appeared on Earth out of thin air, almost as if she had come from far, far away to find me or someone like me. I can't help but think back to the thought process I had flowing through my head before Raven's birthday party disaster, before Slade made his dark existence know again to us. Foreboding...that was the best word to describe the feelings I was getting, those very same feelings I got the first time I met a mysterious young woman with amazing power and a desire to do good along side me.

Those strange feelings had been proven correct with the appearance of Slade, who now wielded power that seemed absolute and unstoppable but with Raven, those feelings I once had never came to reality. Raven had never done anything for me to question her motives, her intentions, her heart or her soul. She had done nothing but good for the world around her, for the people around her, and as I found out only recently, was capable of a warmth I had found in almost nobody else in my life.

Now I sit here on the ledge of the roof, legs dangling over the side, staring off in the direction Raven left to. I am positive many hours have passed because the sun is beginning to dip back down below the horizon, signaling the end of another day, yet I still refuse to get up from the spot I sit. I don't want to move until I am no longer confused, can actually understand what is so terrible that it drove Raven away, what brought Slade back from wherever he had been with such devastating power. I want to know the truth, the truth that Raven so badly didn't want me to know that she chose to leave rather than tell me what it was.

I grit my teeth and clench my fists in the unending frustration but I know it accomplishes nothing but the smallest bit of release of all my pent up emotions.

"Why did you have to go Raven...why won't you at least let me try to help you...try to protect you...let all of us stand beside you as you have done so many times for us." I ask the questions to the emptiness in front of me and I expect absolutely no answer except for a small bit of wind blowing across the high altitude of the roof.

I know she is running away from her past, more than likely the same thing that brought her into my life. I know I am the last one to talk about running from one's past as few have done it better than I have.. How many people actually create an entirely different persona so that they can deny the reality of who they once were? I shake my head slightly at my thoughts. A few seconds later I hear the quiet screech of the roof door opening slowly and I turn to see who it is. I find Starfire, peeking her head out a barely open door, looking curiously around the roof before her large green eyes settle on my form. I give her a small smile before turning back to my gazing of the horizon. I can sense her tentatively floating over and I await for the inevitable...

"Robin?" Her soft and sweet voice floats through the air toward me and I can't help but smile to myself a little bit. The soothing gentleness helps to ease my pain a little bit though does nothing to counteract the gaping emptiness I feel at this moment in my chest. I make no effort to respond as I can't think of anything to say that will help with the reality that soon, all the Titans will have to face. It is only a matter of time before she sits down next to me, her long, smooth legs dangling quite a bit further than my own. We sit in silence for a bit and Starfire noticeably fidgets next to me, definitely a person not capable of sitting still for very long but that could be said for most of the Titans, including myself most of the time. However, right now is one of those moments I could sit forever, doing very little, just like when me and Raven would read quietly together on those rare occasions.

"She's gone Star. She left today." I don't look at Starfire but I'm sure her eyes have gone wide. There is only one 'she' I could be talking about so she knows who has left us. She tries to speak, her voice already breaking under the news.

"Why...Raven did not...did not leave because of the party we threw her. We only had the best intentions and...and...and..." The young woman's voice is filled with total confusion and uncertainty, straining for an answer as she knows that the party had nothing to do with Raven leaving. We all knew Raven well enough to know she would never leave for something like that.

"Please Robin...please tell me it is not because of me...please..." Her voice is barely above a whisper and I finally turn to face her, the tears already starting to fall from her eyes. Guilt, terrible, crippling guilt. How I know it all to well. I reach out and take one of Starfire's hands in my own, and give her the largest smile I can muster.

"Star...I don't know why she left but I do know it is not any of our faults. At least understand that." She nods slightly though the tears don't stop their descent. I know I don't believe anything I am saying because my nightmare still lingers within all my senses and I know that though the other Titans may be guiltless for Raven leaving, I am not free of that guilt. Starfire sobs to herself, her head lowered, her entire body quivering.

"Why did she have to leave...why did she have to leave us...I don't understand!" On the inside, I am sure a part of me wants to break down exactly like Starfire is doing in front of me, but right now, I need to be the strong one for the teams sake. I pull Starfire into a gentle embrace and she begins to sob harder, clutching on to me tightly as if she is afraid I will leave her too. I knew Starfire would take it the hardest of the other Titans because of the recent events occurring between Raven and her along with the extreme sensitivity that was simply a strong part of the young woman. She continues to cry for Raven's departure as well as many other things that she probably feared would never be resolved between her and the closest thing she ever truly had to a sister and all I can do is hold her tight, trying to be the rock for her. However, my mind has already drifted away, though my body and instincts remain to comfort her. All my mind can think about is a cloaked young woman and how I can no longer envision a future without her being a part of it. How did it come to this.

Raven P.O.V:

I find myself moving toward my destination knowing my purpose though I move almost as slow as I can, in absolutely no rush to leave behind the second place I could truly call home. However, I have no choice...no choice at all. Slade's return made that clear to me, though no less easy. The Titans were my family and Robin...he was special beyond description to me. I can feel my heart slowly beginning to break after my final encounter with Robin, knowing that I will never see the one I love with all my heart ever again. I will never feel his comforting touch or hear his kind words or simply ever know what color eyes he has hidden behind that mask. These are devastating thoughts for me and I am sure something is being destroyed somewhere, but I can't repress these feelings, can't stop the hurt that is creeping into my shadowed soul.

I hate myself for leaving behind the Titans, for not even having the strength to say good bye to anyone but Robin, and even then I never said good bye, only I quit. I know deep inside he would understand what I am doing but I can't tell him the truth. If he knew that I was truly a demonic monster, the daughter of a far darker being than even Slade and what my destiny truly was, he would be disgusted by me just like everyone else who ever learned the horrible truth. He would hate me and turn against me, and my destiny is the only thing that scares me more than that coming true. Instead, I will run away again, run from the very life I have always longed for in my most optimistic of dreams because it is the right thing to do in order to protect them all and it is easier than facing the truth. If Slade can not find me, then he can't ensure the culmination of the prophecy, and that will mean those I love will continue to be safe from that which has followed me since birth and will be safe from the truth of the thing I am.

I finally land in a heavily forested area a few miles outside of Jump City, a place that is completely uninhabited by human life, a place I have not been since I came to this dimension 2 years ago. To almost anyone, there seems to be absolutely nothing around me except trees but that is how it is meant to be, to conceal what is hidden here. I quietly say a small spell and make a few hand gestures. A small bit of magic energy is released and the reality in front of me begins to shimmer and change by my will. Slowly, a small stone opening comes into existence in front of me, appearing strong and sturdy where nothing stood before. Contained within is the place where my feet first felt the ground of this dimension, of this planet called Earth. I slowly glide into the opening, the entrance disappearing after I pass through, once again concealing itself from those without the knowledge and the power to find it.

As I enter, torches along the stone walls burst alive, casting their light down the long staircase that is in front of me. I do not hesitate for a second as I walk down the ancient steps, taking no notice of the rune symbols everywhere as I have seen them all before, know what they all say. I descend deeper and deeper into the Earth, eventually coming to a wall that appears to have no opening at all though I know it is actually the door into the main chamber. To open it, all I must do is make my request, and if deemed acceptable, I would be granted entry. I take a long, deep breathe, knowing that I can no longer turn back, knowing that my wonderful time on Earth has finally come to an end. I had always hoped that by coming here I could find allies to aid me in my quest, in my search for freedom. I found so very much more. I did indeed find a group of powerful heroes that I knew would stand beside me no matter what but also I found a family, and also a young man I would give my everything to. However, on my birthday, it was shown to me that though the Titans are strong and cared for me as much as I cared for them, they were still absolutely no match for what I fight against, what I run from. I exhale my breathe and speak the words I hoped I would never have to say again.

"I, Raven of Azarath, seek entry. I must flee this world, this dimension in order to protect it and its people from my Father, to prevent it from falling into never-ending darkness." A few small, magical symbols appear on the door in front of me, one appearing after another until they form an outline of the entrance way. There is a sudden flash of blinding white light which I knew was to come and my way is made clear, my request granted.

I tentatively walk through the new doorway, knowing that I am truly leaving behind everything that I loved and it has finally become unbearable to take any more steps forward. I clench my small hands as I look back up the stairs, feeling the smallest bit of moisture forming in my eyes.

"I can't...I just can't..." I mutter the words quietly to myself, speaking what I know my heart is screaming but in my mind the answer is undeniable clear. I have to...I have to." I walk through the doorway into the main room, taking in the raw magical power that flows within this room. It is a large circular room with statues aligning the walls, last memorials to men and women of great power, heroes who had fought to imprison a great beast I knew all to well, all but one falling in the process. They also built this place, and others like it through out many dimensions. They were meant to be gateways, to make it possible to travel the dimensional gaps in order to fight the one who sought to consume it all.

I lock my gaze on one statue in particular, one I know above all others. She was the one who helped raise me, taught me almost everything I know about my powers as well as my destiny, my mentor Azar. She was a sorcerous of great power who forged many great weapons to fight the beast and was the only one fortunate enough to survive the imprisonment of Him. She lived countless lifetimes, more years than I think I ever will truly understand, and then finally one day, after completing my training, she simply died, as if her final purpose had finally been completed, no longer needing to continue her ancient existence.

I pull myself away from my brief reminiscing and venture to the center of the room. A large, circular stone stands before me with a diameter of probably 15 feet that seems to glow with an inner light. It is the portal that will take me to a new dimension, where Slade will be unable to find me, where my destiny will be staved off for hopefully a few more years. I need and despise this portal at the same time because I know it is my best hope, yet I hate it also for being the tool that will forever take me away from my friends. I also shudder slightly when I think about it because it reminds me of what I truly am, a portal born of hatred's fire.

I very reluctantly begin the activation chant for the portal, fighting down the lump in my throat and the ache deep within my heart. With the final words, the portal opens, a shimmering white light coming into existence within the stones interior. I make no move to approach it, feeling as if my legs weigh hundreds of pounds, unable to lift them. I keep seeing Robin's confused face as I told him I was leaving along with the faces of my other dear friends, knowing how much it probably hurt them all when Robin told them I was gone. Again the tears fight against my will, demanding to fall, and this time, they win. I can feel the tears beginning to roll down my cheeks, one after another, and soon I am sobbing openly, the sound of me crying echoing around the room.

"Damn you Slade. Damn you Father. Why won't you leave me alone? Why won't you just leave me alone!" My desperate scream echoes around the room but I receive no answer, the stone statues not answering my pleas.

"I love them all so much. I don't want to leave them...I don't want to leave Robin..."

"Your wish is granted demonspawn." The voice comes from nowhere and my body turns cold. Before I can even turn around, balls of fire are hurled at the stone portal, it soon crashing to the ground from the vicious assault. Unable to hold the magic anymore, there is a small explosion as the magic dissipated back into the chaos of the universe, causing me to take cover from flying stone by creating a black shield of energy around me. When all the dust finally clears, the room becomes completely silent again, my means of escaping my destiny lying broken on the floor, my final selfish plea answered by evil's messenger.

I turn around defensively expecting to find Slade and he does not disappoint. He stands in the doorway, a fireish glow outlining his body, his single eye mocking me.

"Hello again Raven and to think you were going to leave without even saying good bye. Now how is that the way to treat a close family friend." All I want to do at this moment is unleash all my anger, all my frustration, and all my pain upon this poor excuse for a human being. I can feel anger most of all clawing to the surface and it is that fact that forces me to calm down as best as I can, despite everything that is happening.

"Your Father thought that you might try to run away again and we just couldn't have that could we. I mean just how many people would you be letting down if you just went and left." I know he is smirking under his mask, he is always smirking under his mask and it annoys me to no end.

"You truly are a fool Slade, choosing to work for him. You can't even fathom what type of being he is, what he is planning for this dimension. I don't even think you would wish what he plans to do on this planet."

"Oh I know exactly who I am dealing with Raven and it is quite clear what your Father is going to do but in the end he has promised to give me something that no one else in this universe can, and for that, he earned himself a soldier." I smile slightly at his arrogance and stupidity, to believe himself to be above an expendable pawn in all of this.

"He will never keep his word Slade. He will betray you in the end." I know my words are absolute and am surprised when even his eye seems to smile at me.

"Little Raven, do not think that I am unintelligent enough to make a deal with the devil without having a little insurance." I have no response to this for I can think of no reason why he would ever believe he could outsmart or betray a being such as the one he served. Arrogance would indeed be Slade's downfall it would seem. His mission complete, Slade turns around, ready to disappear back into the shadows.

"Do not think you have won Slade. I will find another means to escape and I promise you will never find me. Tell that to your Master. He may be all-seeing when he is free, but he is just as blind as anyone else while he is a prisoner." Slade stops and I hear him laugh quietly to himself.

"Oh I don't think you'll be going anywhere Raven. You see, if I don't see you back at the tower very soon, I will simply destroy all your little friends." I feel my heart stop and I am sure my face grew even paler than I normally was.

"Leave them out of us this Slade. They have nothing to do with any of this." I try to sound strong, but my voice is visibly quivering. Again he laughs as he turns back to face me.

"I don't think so Raven. They are a part of this now. You made them a part of this and that is a fact." I cringe as he emphasizes the word 'You', knowing that he is right. They would have all been safe from this threat had I never came to Earth, had I never even existed.

" If you try to flee again Raven, I will destroy them all and you know I have enough power to do so. You might be the only one who could truly stand against me so if you wish them to be safe, you will return. If you run, I promise that they will all die and I will ensure that Robin's death is most especially long and painful." I can see the fire burning in his eye and I know he means every word. I can no longer look at him and lower my head, squeezing my eyes tight as I feel more tears starting to come but I won't cry in front of Slade. I am trapped and that has been completely revealed to me by my Father's lowly servant. There is no more running, not if I truly want to keep those I care about most safe. Slade disappears though I barely take any notice of that fact. There is far too much going on inside me to really care because in the end, he needs me far more than I will ever need him.

I have spent my entire life either learning to fight my destiny or running away from it, but now I know destiny will wait no longer. As I depart from this broken place, I can't help but understand the simple truth that the lives of four individuals can in no way match up with the lives of billions, yet deep within my heart, they do to me.


	17. Chapter 17

1A/N: And here we are my loyal readers and even more loyal reviewers. Another chapter, some action, and well, things just keep on moving along. I give this chapter a 7 1/2. Its kinda funny this story was originally only going to be about 8 chapters and now, it just keeps going and I think getting better but what the heck do I know. A great many thanks to those that reviewed...Cherry Jade ( I can't exactly start looking at you weird because I kind of already did jk), Cherished18 (another name I see. I like it), ravenslair, evilsangel, Stars lil girl, and Teen Titans Obsessor. Reviews keep me motivated when I get off track so you all kind of are responsible for this update. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 17

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

Shock then disbelief coupled with denial. Next came the unfounded guilt along with the unfocused anger. Finally came a total feeling of sadness and emptiness and underlying the entire situation was complete and utter devastation. Every single Titan reacted in exactly the same way upon finding out that Raven had left us...abandoned us and it was I who had to break the news to each of them. Now as I look at them, I can see them returning to a particular reaction to the news, the one most suited to their personalities. Starfire was the most distraught, the one who could not stop crying, the one whose boundless joy had been extinguished. Cyborg was angry, lashing out at anything he could think of, knowing no other way to deal with loss. Beast Boy refused to accept the reality of the situation, refused to believe he had lost another person he cared about because he would never be able to handle losing another person he was so close to. Finally there was me, the leader the one who did his best to comfort the sobbing Starfire, did his best to calm down a rampaging Cyborg, and did his best to ease Beast Boy back into the truth that we all now dealt with. However, I could feel myself dying on the inside through all of this, every moment feeling more and more like something was missing and something was missing. Raven was gone, never to return.

It had not been very long ago that me and her had stood quietly on the roof together simply gazing out at the sky and then as quickly as she was there with me, she was gone, never once saying good bye, never even telling her other friends about her decision to leave. It had only been a few hours, a minuscule amount of time in the grand scheme of things, yet it felt like an eternity to me, felt like years since I had seen her beautiful face, and many of the feelings I was having were confusing me greatly. Everything about this situation bothered me to no end but I couldn't seem to make myself climb out of the deep, dark hole I feel myself sinking in to.

Starfire sits on the couch, Silkie tightly in her arms, an object of immense comfort for the devastated young woman. I am slightly worried because if she squeezes any harder, she is going to crush her beloved Silkie and that was the last thing anyone needed to deal with right now. Cyborg had stormed out of the room a few minutes ago though he seemed to be storming out of the room constantly, coming and going with his deep voice bellowing about something. Beast Boy sat on another couch away from Starfire, a video game controller in hand though the T.V. wasn't even on. I watched as he continued to mouth a single phrase over and over to himself...'She'll be home any minute now.'

One never realizes truly what is important to them until it is no longer with them and the complete collapse of my team in a matter of hours proves just how much we have all grown to care about each other, truly like a family and now we were one member short.

I stare out into the bay from the window, not really seeing anything but missing nothing. I keep telling myself that I'll suddenly see a dark speck on the even darker background coming closer and that it will be Raven, flying home but I have not seen her, and I doubt I ever will again. I know it is getting late as the sun set quite awhile ago but for some reason, I doubt any of the Titans will be getting any rest tonight, or tomorrow, or the next day...

Only one Titan did any sleeping through the night and that was Starfire, which was only possible because of extreme exhaustion from the amount of crying she had done. She was currently slumbering on the couch, Silkie curled up next to her, a blankest placed on her by me. Cyborg was in the garage, the blow torch never once stopping from what I could tell, throwing himself into his work. Beast Boy was still in the same spot, only the T.V. was now on, some random show on, the volume very low so not to disturb Starfire. He seems to be in a complete daze though I am sure I am too. I had beaten on a punching bag all through out the night, accomplishing nothing at all. Now however I am back in the main room, right back where I was before, staring out, awaiting the black dot to appear, signaling Raven coming home. When I actually saw something, I found myself blinking a few times under my mask, testing to see if it was real. As it got closer, I realized it or rather who was very real. It was Slade and he was flying on a collision course right for us, that strange mark burning bright, signaling our doom.

"Titans trouble!" I screamed it out, louder than I had ever done before. Beast Boy's attention snapped over to me and a startled Starfire jumped up just as a blast of fire obliterated a good section of our wall, allowing Slade to float in, him landing softly on the ground. At this moment Cyborg walked in, his voice filled with anger.

"What the hell is going on he..." He locked his attention on Slade who stood arrogantly.

"Hello Titans. I figured it was about time I made a house call."

Raven quietly floated over Jump City as another day started. She had spent many hours meditating in the forest, all through the night, trying to clear her head and her heart to no avail. Eventually she just got up and left the spot that was supposed to take her away from ever, finding that she slowly was drifting back toward the city...back toward them. However, she could not make herself take the last few steps and actually return to her home, the one place she wasn't supposed to ever go back to. She had left to escape her destiny, to ensure that those dearest to her would not have to suffer the absolute destruction she was born to bring, yet now, because of Slade, she had to return or they would surely parish all because of her. She watched as life began moving in the city. People opening their shops, husbands kissing their wives good bye, heading out to another day of work, and even a few children walking to school, smiles on their face due to the beautiful day. Thousands of people in the city, hundreds more cities like it around the world, and hundreds more planets just like this one within this dimension and all would be destroyed because of her and her weakness.

She felt a deep ache in her heart, a pain that had been with her for a ver long time, since the realization of what she was meant to do was revealed to her. In the end, the only ones who had ever made it bearable to live with that pain were her mentor, her mother, and her new family...most especially Robin. His presence always seemed to sooth her battered spirit, always found a way to comfort her even when life was each day becoming more and more unbearable. His warm touch and calming presence had even allowed her to forget, for a time, what a monster she truly was but now...

Raven's gaze settled back on the Tower sitting silently on an island out in the bay. She needed to go back in order to protect her friends from Slade's wrath but in doing so, she would have to face her destiny and with it, the end of all things. She could try to run, even if she couldn't escape this dimension she could escape this planet, go to the farthest edge of this dimension and hide for as long as she could, but in doing so, she would sentence her friend's to death, a painful, scorching death at the hands of a man they had all thought dead, the one who served the greatest darkness existence had ever known.

Raven closed her eyes as a gentle breeze rolled by. What choice did she have? What choice did she ever have? She never chose to be a harbinger of darkness, never chose to be a demon born only for malevolent purposes. She never chose to love her friends beyond description and never chose to fall hopelessly and completely in love with Robin. These things simply were and there was nothing she could do about it. The peaceful morning was suddenly rocked by a fiery explosion that seemed to echo all around the city, those awake on the street immediately turning in the direction from whence it had come...Titan's Tower. Raven felt her blood turn cold at the sight and the sound. Only a few seconds later, a large black raven was seen zooming through the sky toward the tower.

Robin P.O.V:

I flipped over a blast of fire, throwing a birdarang at Slade only for it to be incinerated inches before making any contact with him. I silently cursed to myself as more waves of fire came in my direction, managing to singe me slightly. I watched with a small bit of satisfaction as Starfire landed an enraged fist into the face of Slade, sending him flying through the air, crashing into a wall. He immediately rose to his feet, cracking his neck loudly, confidence radiating off of him and for good reason. The titans were doing better than the last time they had fought Slade though I got the feeling he was only toying with us and still he was beating us badly. Beast Boy charged in as a bull only for Slade to flip over him effortlessly throwing a huge blast of fire at Starfire as he did so, making direct contact. The blast knocked her out of the air, her body crashing painfully to the ground. A sonic blast came threw but Slade ducked and another blast of fire slammed into Cyborg, destroying his cannon, causing sparks to uncontrollably shoot from the stump.

Beast Boy came up behind Slade as a gorilla, locking his arms around the villian's body, one around his chest, the other around his neck and began to squeeze in anger. Slade barely took notice and with strength he should have never possessed, flipped the giant gorilla over him, slamming him into the ground in front of him creating a small crater. The green gorilla turned back into Beast Boy who was doing his best to struggle against Slade who now had Beast Boy's right arm in his grasp. I screamed out charging forward but was too late to stop Slade as a loud snapping noise was heard, Beast Boy letting out a scream born of pure pain as his arm was snapped in half. Slade stood up facing my charging form but not before giving the now curled up Beast Boy a good kick in the side for good measure.

I swung my bo staff down on him and he dodged to the side. I reacted quickly, swinging again, this time making contact with the fiend's head, the sound of metal meeting metal heard loudly. However, as before, he barely seemed to feel it and caught my bo staff in his hand on my next swing.

"You really never learn do you Robin." I dodged a punch aimed directly at my head, having to let go of my staff to dodge it but couldn't move fast enough to avoid my own staff slamming into my side. The impact took my breathe away and I struggled to regain it, only succeeding in leaving myself open for another attack and a knee slammed into my face, causing me to see nothing but black for a few seconds before my hazy vision returned, finding myself on my back. Slade stood triumphantly above me, dropping my staff to the ground. I still was having trouble getting my lungs working again but it was a futile attempt as I found Slade's foot soon pressing on my throat cutting off my air. I tried to force his foot off of me but I couldn't find the strength, couldn't seem to make it budge.

"It truly is disheartening for it to all end this way. I never wanted to have to kill you Robin but in the end, there was simply no other option. Raven leaving forced my hand but such is the way of things. Good bye my apprentice. Maybe I'll see you in Hell one day." The pressure on my throat increased as I found myself slowing fading into darkness. As the shadows closed in on all sides of me, the only thing I could hear was Slade's dark laughter. I found myself unable to struggle anymore, my arms falling limply to my side. I found an image of a violet-haired beauty flashing in my mind and all I could do was wish she was here. Somehow, she heard me.

"Get away from him now!" The voice was full of unadulterated rage and was slightly distorted sounding but even in my near death state I knew that voice...a voice I never thought I'd hear again...Raven. The pressure did not immediately leave but when it finally did, it was in an instant for the simple fact that Slade was now outlined with black energy, slamming repeatedly into the wall, each slam emphasized by a scream from Raven.

"Never Touch My Friends Again!" I slowly found oxygen returning to my body and slowly dragged myself to my knees. A quick glance of the room showed me all the other Titans slowly starting to move and then there was Raven...eyes glowing red, unseen wind swirling around her, her cloak and hair billowing out. I felt just the slightest bit of fear. Slade was slowly getting to his feet, the first time since his return I had seen him appear injured. His body cracked as he rose and he didn't seem to be standing as straight as he once was.

"Temper Temper Raven. You really should try to show a little more restraint." Slade unleashed a huge stream of fire at Raven, it only meeting a wall of black energy and I was shocked when a deep growl emanated from Raven's form.

"You pathetic fool. Let me show you true power." Again Slade's body was outlined in black energy, lifting him off the ground. Raven drew him forward until he was only a foot in front of her, eye level with the hovering girl.

"You should have never tried to threaten me Slade. You should have never tried to hurt my friends and now you will suffer." Raven's words caused me to shiver. They were so cold, so evil sounding, everything Raven truly wasn't. I stared right into Slade's one eye and could see the immense pain he was in. Popping sounds started coming from all over his body and it was then I realized what Raven was doing...Raven was pulling him apart. She was using her power to pull all of his limps and his head from his body...a gruesome and brutal death. She truly was trying to kill him. More cracks erupted from Slade and I somehow knew he was resisting the urge to scream, refusing to be weak in front of me. I finally found my voice and called out to Raven, intent on stopping her from committing this atrocity despite the fact of all people, Slade probably deserved it. However, this wasn't about Slade right now, this was about stopping Raven from making a mistake I knew she would regret always just as she did for me on a beach trip not that long ago. Raven was not a murderer and I wouldn't allow her to become one. Of course I realized from what I had seen, that there was a good chance Slade couldn't even be killed but in the end this needed to be stopped.

"Raven!" She seems not to hear me and I call out again, loud as I can. Her burning red gaze shift to my now standing form. She does not say anything but only seems to be staring into my rather than at me. It is one of the strangest feelings I've ever had.

"Raven you need to stop! You're killing him!" She grins at me.

"Yes I am Robin. But I will ensure he suffered terribly before I send him into oblivion." Her smile is not her, it is malicious, something I would imagine graces the face of Slade at all possible times

"It doesn't matter Raven. You need to stop now. You've won...you saved all of us. There is no need to kill him." Her smile fades and her eyes burn brighter.

"You pathetic, weak mortal. You know you are enjoying watching him suffer after everything he has done to us...to you." I stare at the scene in front of me, Slade helpless, suffering, and I find no satisfaction in it all. How many times had I dreamed of something like this, how many times had I tried to bring it into existence, and now...only regret and shame at the dark murderous thoughts that had plagued my mind for a very long time. I hated Slade with every fiber of my being but to truly kill him, I knew I could never do that and I knew the true Raven wouldn't be able to it either.

"No Raven, I find no enjoyment in this and I know deep inside, you dont't either. The Raven I know is a kind hero, not a ruthless killer. Please, stop this before it goes to far." She continues to stare at me and I notice her eyes dimming, her form becoming a little less menacing, and her power dissipating. I see her eyes flash to their normal color for a few seconds then back to red. I take a step forward.

"Raven! Come back to us, come back to us now." I watch as she lets out a terrible scream that seems like it was born from hell and with one last motion of her hand, Slade is thrown straight out the window, eventually slamming into the salty sea water, disappearing below the waves. I somehow knew he would be just find despite all of this. Raven is now simply standing there, her head down, her hair covering her face. She is not quite back to normal because the Raven in front of me looks far too small and far too weak to be the Raven that I know. I take a few steps forward, making a small bit of noise and Raven's head snaps up as if she had forgotten I was there. I see raw terror in her eyes, fear that is almost tangible from the young woman.

"Raven..." My voice is gentle as possible and I take another tentative step forward. I see her flinch at my step

"Please Robin stay back, just stay away." Her voice is broken and I truly, truly hate hearing that voice from her, more than I even hate Slade. I watch as her eyes start moving side to side quickly and somehow the fear in her eyes increases.

"Please...please don't look at me like that...please...I'm sorry...please..." Her pleads are heartbreaking and I realize she isn't talking to me and I look behind me to find the other Titans. Starfire is holding Beast Boy on his feet, his arm clearly badly broken. Cyborg is also holding his useless arm with his other hand, some random sparks still appearing. However, I soon realize what Raven had meant. Each one has the same look on their faces, in theirs, mirroring that which lies in Raven's eyes. Fear, absolute fear and it is being directed right at Raven. They must have seen what happened between Slade and Raven and Raven had frightened all of them, hell she scared me too. I stare at the other Titans and the looks do not fade. I turn back to Raven who now has her arms wrapped around herself, muttering quietly to herself.

"A monster, nothing but a monster, nothing but feared, nothing but hated. I'm sorry...I'm so very sorry." I take a few more steps forward and Raven quickly locks eyes with me and I see what she is going to do. She tries to run off, run away from all of us again and only thanks to my quickness and reflexes, I am able to grab her by the wrist before she can move. She immediately tried to pull away but I have a strong grip. Realizing she is caught, her head turns back and there is still terror etched on her face along with a incredible desire to get away. I won't let her. I pull her forward and wrap my arms around her in the tightest embrace I can give her, the closest hug I can provide.

"Please don't leave us Raven...please don't leave me." My words are incredible soft, below a whisper, but I know she hear's me because at that moment she melts into me as a few tears start to fall.


	18. Chapter 18

1A/N: I wanted to get this out sooner but I got tied up in writing something else but here it is. I'm still not sure how I feel about this chapter but who knows. Thanks to everyone who reviewed as always. 7 reviews which is pretty much the most I've gotten for a chapter in awhile so makes me feel real good. Some interesting reviews too, including one about baring children and all. Though there are a few comments I probably should respond to. Logan X, never thought of that idea which your right, that would be cool. I'll have to see how it plays out into this. MyChemSweetie, I think your really overestimating the popularity of my writing to think I deserve a following but hey, that would be pretty cool, minions and all. jk. Cherry Jade, I have no intention of becoming a pro writer. Its more of a hobby of mine to kill time though maybe one day I'll try and write that elusive novel everyone eventually tries to do. Well that's it. 2 more reviews until 100. Will I make it? Find out in the next chapter which should be very soon.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 18

By: Finalitylife

Raven had returned to the tower upon seeing that explosion knowing her time was up, Slade had made good on his guarantee, her destiny would no longer sit in the shadows that the young woman dwelled in. Her friends were in grave danger, would surely die if she didn't get there soon, and that fear was fueling her fantastic pace to get back home.

She came in through the exact hole that Slade had formed in the side of the tower and instantly saw her fears being realized and with it, a long suppressed anger released. Her friends were littered around the room, each in a state of various consciousness and pain. However, what caused her demonic blood to boil and rise to the surface, what caused her dark power to increase ten fold, was the sight of Slade stealing away the final breathe of the man she loved. She could feel Robin's life slipping away into oblivion and for the first time in her existence, a small part of her in desperation, accepted the burning rage within. Slade never stood a chance, no one would have stood a chance. Her human side was pushed back into her mind and the monster within took control.

What happened next was very much a blurry haze to the young woman though she did understand one fact very well, if it was possible to kill Slade, she was going to do it in the most painful manner she could think of and nothing would satisfy the demon within until that desire was fulfilled. As she stared into the one human eye of Slade, seeing the pain within, a battle was being fought within between what she desired to do and what she knew she should do. She knew she should stop, knew she had already won, that Slade would leave now that she had returned, but she couldn't find the strength to stop herself from becoming the monster she was born to be.

As she felt the last of her will being pushed away, she heard Robin calling out to her, begging her to stop, telling her to come back to him. Her demonic side wanted to lash out at him, rip him to pieces just as she was trying to do to Slade, kill him for making her weak, for making her truly feel... truly feel human. As she stared at him pleading to her, everything started to clear up for her, and she remembered what she truly fought for, not for vengeance against Slade but rather to protect her friends, protect him, protect what was truly pure in her life. With a renewed strength, Raven fought against herself and in one final surge, one final scream of terrible anguish, she forced her dark side back into the recesses of her mental landscape. Always back in, never out, never a moment freedom from the gnawing teeth and claws of the great beast.

She felt her massive surge of energy leave her but knew the damage had already been done. She realized how easy it could have been for her to have killed Slade, hurt her friends. She felt complete shame and disgust at herself wash over her and this time when Robin called her name, all she wanted to do was get away.

That was when she saw her other teammates, their eyes locked in horror at what she had done, what she had almost done, and that was when she realized the terrible truth, she had become what she had tried never to become her entire life...she had become that monster to those that cared about her.. She knew they were afraid of her, knew that they would hate her for what she was, and in her panic, overwhelmed by her own fears, she moved to flee her home again so that she wouldn't have to endure their hate-filled words, their judgement and inevitably their rejection. However, she didn't even make it one step before a hand had grabbed hold of her and the owner of that hand's intention was completely clear to her as he pulled her into a warm embrace. He would not let her leave them again, would not let her leave him.

Raven couldn't help it but again felt tears begin to flow from her eyes because no matter how much she knew her friends hated her, no matter how much she hated herself, she couldn't help but feel safe in his arms, the only place she truly felt safe in for so very long. She didn't return the embrace but buried herself into his chest, crying because it felt so wonderful, crying because she knew it would soon all be lost to her. As she wished she could get lost forever in this moment, the one she loved begging her never to leave him, she knew what she needed to do. She needed to tell them the truth of what was to come, what she really was, and in doing so, forever losing her place by their side and in their hearts. Though for just one moment, she wanted to enjoy simply being Raven, only a woman in the arms of her beloved.

Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg had finally gotten over their shock at what had transpired before them...Raven's return and her single handily defeating Slade along with the fear that had indeed felt at watching that strange demonstration of her power...and her cruelty. However, watching her now, seeing her so small and so vulnerable, they couldn't find any fear in their hearts toward the dark, young woman. Yet Starfire, watching the scene play out in front of her and despite her joy at seeing her friend Raven return to her home, couldn't help but feel the first break form within her loving heart.

Robin P.O.V.

She was back. She was back and we all had survived despite several injuries. How long I stood there holding her, I don't know. How long the other Titans stood there in silence watching us, I don't know that either. The feelings that were flowing through every fiber of my being at this moment, I don't know.

I very reluctantly pulled away from Raven after feeling the eyes of all the rest of the Titans refusing to break away, reminding me that I was still the leader and they were probably waiting for me to do something. I turned around to survey my team. Starfire looked fine, a little bit burnt, and for some reason, very sad. She was still holding up Beast Boy who seemed to be fighting the incredible pain he was in at the moment with the savagely broken arm of his. Cyborg seemed a little glitchy, though had a small smile on his face. I wanted to say something, but couldn't really think of anything as I stared at each of them. It was Raven who answered the need for something to be done.

She moved past me, heading directly toward Beast Boy and Starfire. Her shoulders were hunched ever so slightly from what was most likely exhaustion from her massive power use, her movements a tad bit tentative, probably still thinking of the way each of them had looked at her. She stopped right in front of them, her interest focusing on Beast Boy who spoke through gritted teeth, continuing to try and deal with the pain.

"Hey Raven. Thanks for coming back and saving all our butts." Raven's response was to raise her hand and the soft glow of her healing powers soon was seen, a look of relief suddenly on Beast Boy's face.

"I can ease the pain for now but the bone still needs to be set and a cast will have to be put on. I can only do so much." Her voice was quiet, unsure.

"That's okay Raven. I can deal with that. I'm just glad you're back." Starfire offered Raven a soft smile.

"Yes it is most wonderful to have you home Raven." For some reason, I almost could feel it from Raven that she didn't believe them. Cyborg was the next to chime in.

"Yeah dark girl. You have no idea what you put us through when you just left. Don't ever do that again." Raven did not give a response. "Alright BB. Lets get you patched up. Starfire, can you help get him there.?"

"Yes Cyborg. Anything to help." Cyborg walked ahead with Starfire helping Beast Boy to the infirmary. Right before she left, she turned back to give me one last look, and was gone. This left Raven and me alone in the battle torn room. Her back was till to me, me in the same spot where we had embraced. She began speaking in a low tone, her words very sad, very chilling.

"I have no idea what I put you through when I left but I do know what I will put you through now that I've returned and for that I am sorry beyond words." I was about to ask what she was talking about when I watched her start to fall over. Quicker than I thought I could move, I was there to catch her in my arms before she could hit the ground.

"Are you okay Raven?" She looked up at me, her eyes clearly tired, containing a slight emptiness to them and her words were even more empty than that.

"I'll never be okay Robin." I could think of no response to her sunken words.

Eventually, Raven found the energy to stand up again, dead set on going to do what she could to heal Beast Boy so that he would get better sooner. I wanted to argue with her, that she needed to rest, but I just knew arguing would not do any good. I followed her to the infirmary, watching her like a hawk just in case she was to fall again though it did not happen.

Every one turned to look at us as we walked in though I was certain they were all looking at Raven and not me. Raven stopped, huddling with herself under their gazes, again seeming completely uncertain about what to do.

"Hey Raven. I set the bone as best as I could. I think its time you work a little of that healing magic before a put the cast on." Raven nodded the tiniest bit and approached the three other Titans while I remained a few feet behind. Again the soft glow of Raven's healing power was seen and again a look of contentment formed on Beast Boy's face, a goofy smile of sorts.

"Ah yeah, that's the stuff. You're a miracle worker Raven." Her body visibly tensed up at these words but she did not stop healing Beast Boy. The room took on a strange silence as Raven went about her work, no one really sure what to say. No one wanted to bring up Raven's reason for leaving yet, no one wanted to bring up what happened with Slade, no one wanted to know truly what that was that defeated Slade so effortlessly, that which raged out from Raven. The silence would have been awkward had it not really been what everyone truly wanted at this moment.

The glow eventually faded away and Cyborg went to work putting on a cast on to Beast Boy's arm to ensure proper healing of whatever breaks and fractures remained. I watched as Raven, her task complete, seemed to drift slowly away from the rest of the Titans as well as myself, eventually claiming her own little spot practically on the other side of the room. The cast did not take long to put on Beast Boy as the infirmary at the tower was home to a lot of special medical tools and equipment that weren't seen almost anywhere else in the world and special casting molds happened to be one such thing. Cyborg eventually finished and I watched as Beast Boy, with a deep frown on his face, shifted a few of his fingers, the only part of his right arm really able to still move. I knew that feeling all too well.

The room continued to remain silent, Starfire shifting nervously on her feet every so often, Beast Boy continuing to fidget his fingers, tapping on the hard cast for whatever reason. Cyborg seemed to, like me, be shifting his eyes from one Titan to the other, studying them and then there was Raven who stood deathly silent by herself, her cloak covering her entire body though her hood was down. She really did look like she was off in her own little world though it was her voice that finally broke the silence.

"I know you all have many things you want to say to me right now but now is my time to speak to all of you. What I am going to tell you all I had hoped would never be known to any of you, that it would remain a forgotten past and a buried secret for all eternity. However, there is no possibility of running anymore and the very least I can do for you is being finally honest about what's going on."

We all stood there, all our eyes on Raven as she seemed to be gathering her thoughts...her feelings before speaking. I felt a strange nervousness wash over me as finally many of my greatest questions would be answered but I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, I really didn't want to hear those answers.

"Imagine if all the darkness, all the hatred, all the evil within the grand space of the universe came together and somehow spawned life, gave birth to one creature who reveled in all that is unholy. This being would simply not be evil, but IS evil, its existence itself defining that which heroes fight against. This being would wield power beyond comprehension, all-knowing and unending, the dark lord of the demon hordes of existence, pure malevolence without equal." I can actually feel my blood turning cold within my veins, my mind wanting to reel away from these words. I can see Raven's hands shaking every so slightly as she speaks, this all being very difficult for her.

"So what does this all have to do Slade?" Cyborg is the one to ask the question, wanting to hear the impossible connection that is slowing making itself clear. Raven takes a deep breathe, looking over each of us before proceeding.

"The being I speak of in fact does exist. Long ago, a great battle was waged between powerful spell casters and holy men and women from dozens of dimensions against this single immortal being and his fiery army. In all the great battles, they never could find the power to destroy Him, and soon found themselves slowly running out of time and options. It was then that the greatest of them formulated a plan, that to defeat Him, they would seal him away in one of his conquered dimensions, a dark prison of his own making for all eternity. They would magically sever any gateways or connections to this dimension and the Great Beast would be locked away forever, unable to escape. It took a massive explosion of energy to accomplish this goal, killing all the defenders of the Light except one in the process but in the end, the enemy of all life was sealed away, with every intention to never be seen or heard from again.

However, this was not to be. Darkness always finds a way to creep back into the world and it was 18 years ago that a foolish mage from the dimension of Azarath made a terrible mistake and accidently recreated a connection to the dark dimension where He was imprisoned. It was a temporary and short-lived creation but stayed open just long enough for the monster to escape for a time, unable to completely leave as his dark energies had become too tied into his prison for complete separation but just long enough for him to succeed in his goal. It raped the daughter of the mage who freed it, leaving His future within her womb, an anchor for His return."

"Raven...is it not true...that you are from the dimension of Azarath...I believe that is what you told me when our bodies were switched during the Puppet Master experience." Starfire's voice is very hesitant and very scared sounding but that does not cause me to miss the important fact revealed by her...where Raven is from. Another dimension...that explains so much. Raven slowly nods her head to Starfire.

"Yes Star, I am from Azarath. It was where I was born and raised before I came to Earth two years ago. It was my home."

"Still Raven, you haven't explained how any of this is tied into you, Slade, and that weird mark on his mask." Again Cyborg asks the questions that I can't seem to say, despite them sitting right on my lips. Raven closed her eyes, again breathing deeply, but I did not miss the hint of fear in her eyes right before she closed them..

"Slade has become a messenger, a soldier, an emissary of the Great Beast that was imprisoned long ago. The mark that adorns his mask is called the Mark of Scath...it is the symbol of the beast. It was used by evil men who actually worshiped the monster, as a way to hide the true identity of their dark God. Slade has become a pawn in a grand plan, a great destiny set in motion 18 years ago when the beast was freed for a time. It was Slade's purpose to place ancient symbols on the portal that will free the beast, it is his purpose to aide in successfully opening the portal, finally freeing that which seeks to destroy all...freeing it right into this dimension." Every gasps but me as I was slowly myself piecing together all this as she spoke. There was just one more thing she hadn't said yet, something I suspected to be true, and truly, truly did not want to be true, but no amount of wishing can stop that which is reality.

"Well why don't we just find this portal and destroy it. No more portal, no more problem. Its just that easy right?" Beast Boy looks around at everyone, the small smile on his face quickly fading. "Right?" My eyes leave Beast Boy and return to Raven who is shaking more now and is struggling to speak.

"The portal...it is not an object but rather a living being...the demon seed planted in that poor woman on Azarath 18 years ago. It is this cursed being, born of the most heinous of acts, with the dark demon blood of the Great Beast flowing through her veins, that since her birth, has had the inescapable destiny of bringing death to everything that has ever drawn breathe."

"So we would have to kill this portal to stop all this? I don't want to be killing anything but I guess one evil being can be sacrificed to save everything right?" My anger erupts at Cyborg as his blind stupidity.

"Shut up you idiot! Are you too stupid to realize what she's saying to us! She's the portal!" Cyborg's one eye goes completely wide, his skin a little bit paler.

"That's not possible. Raven's not evil."

"He's right Cyborg. I am the cursed child that was born 18 years ago. I am the Daughter of Trigon, Bringer of nothing but death and destruction. I am His portal and...and because of me, you and billions others will all die." With these final words, Raven runs out of the room, the soft padding of her feet with the occasional exploding light bulb, echoing down the hallway away from us, though I know this time, she isn't going anywhere. As she said, there is nowhere left to run. I turn and look at each of my team members, my closest friends, my family. Each one is in a state of shock but Starfire manages to stutter out a few words.

"Trigon...he is...he is nothing but a bedtime tale on my planet to scare naughty children. He is only like your Boogeyman on Earth. He...he can not...he must not exist." There is raw terror in Starfire's eyes, one of her childhood fears being very much real and coming for all of us. I want to say something comforting but at this moment, nothing could be considered comforting, rather only bold faced lies. There was every reason to be scared and nothing I could say could deny that fact.

"Cyborg, keep an eye on Beast Boy and Starfire. I'm going to go talk to Raven." Cyborg does not acknowledge me, but rather only continues to stare off into nothing.

"Cyborg!" This time he hears me and jumps ever so slightly at the sudden volume in my voice.

"What...oh yeah...got it covered man." I can tell by the look on his face he has no idea what to do at this moment but all I need him to do is make sure the two "child-like" members of the team don't freak out. I hope he can keep them calm. I leave the infirmary, leaving Cyborg to his 'baby-sitting' and begin walking to Raven's room. I have no idea if that is where she went but I have a feeling that she retreated to the sanctuary of her room, hoping to hide away from all of us.

I walk a very slow pace as my mind is bogged down in information and realization. All that was revealed, all these terrible facts, how simply these world-shattering truths explain so many things about Raven. Her reclusive nature, the darkness that always seems to nip at her heels wherever she goes, her unusual appearance and her self-loathing that runs deeper than any scar. Raven truly did hate herself because of what she was, what she was born to do, and the terrible evil that made its claim as her father.

This was what Raven had carried around with her since the day she was born. This is what Raven had always feared, had brought about that sense of foreboding I felt from her the day I met her. This was the burning red eyes that pushed their way out from her kind soul when the anger became too much to contain. It was all so unbelievable yet as I realized before, it explained everything perfectly.

Raven...how could one person withstand the pressure of all of this in silence for so long and still be such a beautiful, wonderful, and warm person. Now that was truly an amazing thought. I smiled briefly at the thought because it was perhaps the most important one of them all. Because no matter the fact that Raven and this destiny did indeed scare us, no matter that her Father was some supreme, inter-dimensional monster hell bent on destroying everyone and everything that had ever existed, it was the real Raven, that all the Titans knew and loved, the one we had fought beside for two years, lived beside and smiled beside, that we would without hesitation, fight for and, in my truest belief...die for.

I almost don't realize that I have arrived at Raven's room I am so deep into my thoughts, and almost walk past it. I stand in front of it, raising my hand to knock, but Raven already knows I am there.

"Go away Robin...please just go away." I lower my hand, a little surprised at hearing her voice though it is in that same tone that causes my heart to stop. Her voice is just so damn empty.

"Raven...please I just want to talk. Just let me in for a few moments."

"No Robin. I don't want to hear about how much I scare you, how much you all hate me. Just go away."

"I'm not going to lie to you Raven, yeah we all are scared. What you told us, its frightening. But its not you we're scared of and none of us could ever hate you."

"I don't want to hear your lies. Everyone hates me when they know the truth, everyone wishes I never existed. I...I don't blame you Robin, I don't blame anyone. It was something I simply accepted as truth long ago. I was born to be a monster and I don't know why I've ever tried to be anything else."

"Damn it Raven, you are not a monster! I really don't care what anybody else did but we are your friends, we're your family damn it, and it doesn't matter what happens, we all love you and are not going to abandon you when you need us most." She does not respond right away and a glimmer of hope comes into existence that I am getting through to her.

"If you stand by me, you will die. If you abandon me, you will die. It simply no longer matters. I'm so sorry Robin, I never wanted this to happen but it was always inevitable." I can hear the deep, unrelenting pain and sorrow in her voice now and I am sure a few tears are coming from her eyes again. All the lights in the hallway explode behind me showering me in glass though I take absolutely no notice of it. I begin pounding on her door, my fist slamming into it again and again.

"Nothing is inevitable Raven! I don't care what they said your destiny is but when the time comes, we all will stand beside you and we will fight this. Do you hear me! Not you, not me, not any of us are going to die! Do you hear me!" I stand clenching my teeth and my fists, breathing deeply from my sudden exertion. Dents now exist in Raven's door from my pounding.

"You don't understand Robin. You may want to fight but you can not win. This is and always will be my destiny. You can not fight what is born into you, can not fight what is you. You can not fight who you are!" I am pushed back from the door by an unseen wind from inside Raven's room and slam back into the wall of the other side of the hallway. I impact hard and fall, slumping to the ground though I still respond to Raven's words.

"You may not be able to fight who you are, but this is not you Raven. You are not evil, you are not a monster, and you won't be able to keep me from doing everything I can to save you." The last words slip off lips as again I find the shadows of unconsciousness overtaking me.


	19. Chapter 19

1A/N: "How far is heaven? That answer will always be the same for me... now and forever just outside my reach." Does anyone nowhere that's from or did I make that up. I really don't know anymore and I'm kind of curious. Anyways, I'm slightly bothered by this chapter because its...well fluffy but it had to be done despite my upmost resistance. Well I'm just going to post it and go back to decomposing on the couch but first...thanks for the reviews I got. C.J...there is no secret to my writing though it does help to be slightly off mentally when it comes to creativity and MyChemSweetie...hypothetically...yeah...hair grows back, possessions are fleeting, and might want to take it easier on rash decisions for awhile but hey, what do I know.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 19

By: Finalitylife

Raven's anger again had gotten the best of her and she had been unable to suppress her powers. The result: a powerful telekinetic wave had unleashed from her body, attacking outward at the object of her frustration, object of her arguing, object of her affection. She cringed deeply when she heard the solid impact of what only could have been Robin and the wall and knew she had hurt one of the people who cared for her, only emphasizing that she was indeed a monster. She had hurt the leader of the Titans and now...she did her best not to imagine the reactions of the other Titans at her horrid crime. However, she could still hear Robin's voice, him still speaking to her through the door despite her being able to feel his consciousness fading. He had tried to reach her after learning the truth from the source itself and now...now he continued to try and reach her even after she had lashed out at him.

Eventually, Robin was heard no more and a scared and worried Raven found herself pacing back and forth in her room, unsure of what she should do. However, her caring overrode her fear and she opened the door to her room. The hallway was no more illuminated than her room had been due to the fact that all the light bulbs had been broken by her chaotic emotions and her self loathing tantrums yet there was Robin clear as day, slumped quietly over on the ground, his head hanging limply, no movement except for very shallow breathing.

Raven quickly kneeled beside him, ignoring the pieces of glass that began to dig into her exposed knee as she gently took Robin's head in her hands, inspecting the extent of what she had wrought on him. She found the smallest bit of blood on the back of his head and immediately her healing glow lit up the hallway. She would have been more worried about the injury but she knew Robin had suffered far worse and forced himself to walk away from them. He used to, only on rare occasions, allow her healing touch to be used on him, refusing the help because of his own stubborn pride. How she used to curse that damn stubbornest for being the reason he refused her help, but at this moment, as she healed him from injuries she had herself inflicted upon him, a small part of her couldn't help but smile at his stubbornest.

She so badly wanted to continue to believe in her own words, in what she knew to be the absolute truth, but she also could not argue with the fact that she knew that Robin's final words held no falsehood, were of his absolute truth. Raven loved Robin as completely as she could, knew he was not perfect and loved him regardless, and she knew that of his flaws, being a liar was not one of them. There was one glaring exception to this fact but during the Red X incident, Raven had known he was hiding something, just could not figure out what it was. This time, she knew he hadn't been hiding anything or lying about anything. He truly believed that she was not evil, was not a monster, and was dead set on doing everything within his power to help her. So blatantly stubborn as he refused to acknowledge that there was no chance for him to save her even after everything he now knew. He was not going to back down in the face of the Apocalypse all because of her, because he saw something she herself could not see within her own self, believed the impossible possible.

"Robin...I know you want to help but you...you just can't. It simply is not possible. This is my unavoidable fate, my destiny, what I was born to do. If there was a way to stop all of this, it would have been found years ago. Why can't you understand that?" Robin's hand unexpectedly shot up from its prone spot by his side and grabbed hold of the hand Raven was using to heal him. She let out a startled yelp at the incredible swift movement from a formerly unconscious person but also because she found herself unable to dam the flood of emotions that were now flowing into her mind. .

"Because...," His voice was dry and weak sounding bit still it did not lack any of his normal confidence and conviction, the sheer determination of will that truly defined the human leader of the Titans. "Because I refuse to believe in the lies you keep telling yourself and I refuse to believe there is no hope for someone...someone as wonderful as you." Raven couldn't help but blush at the feel of his touch and the sincerity of his words though it only lasted a moment before she turned her head away, choosing to look at the ground. She continued to fight against the warm feeling that bombarded her mind from his contact, from his soul.

"Its not that simple Robin."

"Its never simple Raven, but that won't stop me from believing what I believe and doing my best to protect what I care about." Raven turned her head back to face Robin and could almost feel his eyes boring into her soul from under his mask, their emotions synchronizing into one.

"Robin..." The name softly and tenderly came off her lips.

"Raven..." Her name spoken with warmth and hopefulness.

"Robin!" The strange trance was broken by Cyborg's deep baritone voice. Both of the two birds heads snapped toward the source of the voice and spotted a beam of light coming from around the corner of the hallway. It was Cyborg's shoulder mounted light and following right behind him were Starfire and Beast Boy who seemed to be trying to hide behind him in the darkness.

"Over here Cyborg." Robin gave a small wave, emphasizing where he was which was in fact still on the ground with Raven kneeling next to him. He very reluctantly let go of her hand and slowly stood up to his feet, Raven doing the same. As he reached his full height, he felt a wave of dizziness hit him, and he stumbled over, Raven catching him, her small body doing its best to support his weight. Robin gave her a warm smile.

"Looks like its you whose catching me for once." Again Raven blushed slightly though any redness on her face easily hidden by the dark hallway.

"You okay man? I don't ever see you stumbling around." Cyborg's concern evident in his voice.

"I'm fine Cy. Just been feeling really tired lately." It was not lost on Raven that Robin had not mentioned the fact it was her who had probably given him a partial concussion. "And for the record, I thought I told you to stay in the infirmary and keep on eye on those two." Starfire and Beast Boy's head peeked out from behind Cyborg.

"Well as you can see I am still keeping an eye on those two and for the record, I wasn't all that comfortable in the infirmary. Place was just creeping me out with all these weird beeps and creaks. I figured the safest place in this tower, despite her tendency to break light bulbs is with Raven since she is the one who knows most about what is going on and the fact that she did whoop up Slade like he was a nothing." As Raven listened to the conversation, she kept using her empathy over and over again with the other Titans, refusing to believe what she was reading from each of them. They were afraid, they were nervous, but more so at this moment of the dark than her. This was one of the first times she had actually made an effort to truly feel what they were feeling. She had always assumed...always knew what they would feel when they knew the truth, but now...its simply couldn't be.

"Alright, I'll let this one slide Cyborg. It probably is best that we are all together right now." Robin turned and gave Raven a reassuring smile but all she could do was look at the floor, not wanting to meet the eyes of any of the Titans though this did not stop her from speaking.

"How...how is this possible? Why aren't you afraid of me...why don't you want to spit on me and hurt me like all the people of Azarath? Why?" The three other Titans were a bit startled by Raven's sudden outburst, her emotional plea. Robin gritted his teeth slightly as he hoped at least he had gotten through to her a little bit but he was holding out that maybe...just maybe things would start getting better when she understood the truth from all of them. It was Cyborg who took the initiative to respond to the young woman who still refused to look at any of them.

"Well that's easy Raven. Because we know you would never intentionally hurt anyone, because we know truly who Raven is, and because we all love you a lot. I mean you left for not even a day and we all pretty much broke down completely. We need you girl, more than I think you understand. You're a big part of this strange little family we got going on here and nothing, not even some world ending prophecy is going to change that."

"Yes Raven. I know I have done terrible things to you but you were kind enough to forgive me and...and in the time that I have known you, you have become the only one I could ever consider to be a sister and the best one anyone could ever wish for." Raven eyes slowly shift up the three Titans standing in front of her. Words could always mean very little to Raven but because of her empath abilities, just like before with Robin, she could feel the genuineness of their words, the exact emotions they were each feeling as they said them. Raven knew...she knew that everything they were feeling right now was something good and it was all directed at her.

"Yeah and Robin aside, who else can help me work on the T-car without mangling everything they touch. And never forget we need you around to make fun of Beast Boy."

"Yeah and make fun of Bea...hey man that's not funny." The smallest of smiles found its way to Raven's face. "Come on Raven, you know its because we need you around to laugh at all of my hilarious jokes." A serious look suddenly sprung up on Raven's face.

"I never have and never will laugh at one of your jokes Beast Boy." Beast Boy's large grin fell completely. "However... I must admit that there are times when you can be...mildly amusing." The Cheshire Cat sized grin returned immediately as Beast Boy started hopping up and down like an excited ten year old.

"Did you hear that! Did ya did ya! She said I was funny. Everyone heard that right? Please tell me you got that on recording Cyborg?" Cyborg smiled slyly down at his smaller friend.

"Sorry B.B. but I just missed it." Everyone started laughing as Beast Boy began pouting mumbling under his breathe about it not being fair. Even Raven couldn't suppress her smile along with many other bright feelings dwelling within. Robin took the opportunity to lean over and whisper in Raven's ear.

"Do you understand now Raven. We will never judge you for something that will never be your fault and we all will stand beside you forever. We all love you Raven." Out of nowhere, even unexpected to the dark young woman, Raven flung herself at the three Titans in front of her, doing her best to pull them all into one simultaneous group embrace though she was rather unsuccessful due to her small arms, Cyborg's considerable bulk, and maybe the fact that Raven was simply not used to giving people hugs. Each of the three wrapped a comforting arm around the small girl and Robin couldn't help but laugh at the very disorganized and slightly awkward looking scene in front of him though his very heart was smiling to its very core at the sight. Raven always understood her place in destiny but now, she was starting to understand her place in life with the ones who loved her.

Eventually the heart-warming scene in front of Robin ended and Raven pulled herself free of everyone, adjusting her cloak around herself again, composing her emotions though she couldn't hide the slightest bit of moisture in her eyes.

"Thank you everyone. Thank you so much."

The rest of the night was spent laughing, eating, playing games and just talking doing things that everyday normal teenagers would do. It reminded everybody of the trip to the beach not long ago though it felt to everyone that it had been in another lifetime. Everyone laughed as Beast Boy still valiantly tried to play video games with only one workable hand and Cyborg was nice enough to actually let him win a few. Raven despite every ounce of her being protesting, allowed Starfire to braid her hair which was still past her shoulders from the first incident with Slade. She didn't know why she hadn't cut it yet back to its normal length. The outcome of the experience was the obvious disaster though Raven couldn't find the ability to be angry and the Tamaranian's bright, shining face.

Hours passed, the sun finally deciding to set, though despite the fact no one was afraid of the dark anymore, no one left the others sides, all falling asleep in the main room. Cyborg had even retrieved an extension cable so he could charge himself. Raven, however, had not fallen asleep though she was extremely exhausted. At this moment she found herself standing in the middle of the room, surveying the peacefully, sleeping forms of her friends. Cyborg was sitting up on the couch, his systems off. Beast Boy was completely sprawled out on is back on the couch next to him, the video game controller resting on his chest, all his limps flailed out, including the broken one. A soft snoring emanated from him. On the other couch, Robin was sitting up on the couch and only because she could feel it did Raven know he was sleeping. It was impossible to tell with his ever present mask. Next to him, with her legs tucked underneath her and her head on his shoulder was Starfire with a small bit of drool coming from her mouth. Raven couldn't imagine how she was comfortable as she was but she knew Starfire didn't exactly sleep normally as it was. She couldn't help but smile at all of them as they slept.

Despite everything else that was going one, Raven couldn't help but feel happy at this moment. Her whole life she had been waiting for her future to come swallow her up or she kept dwelling on a painful and lonely past. However, maybe her biggest mistake, as she was now realizing, was that she spent too much time looking backward and forward instead of simply looking at what she already had. The happiest moments of her life were when she simply took the time to enjoy the moment, and this...this was truly one of those moments. Letting out a large yawn, Raven glided forward and curled up next to the other side of Robin. She wrapped her arms around his one arm and placed her head on his shoulder and slept a peaceful, dreamless sleep, because there was no reason to dream, for her dreams were living within four very loved friends.


	20. Chapter 20

1A/N: Indeed...I don't even know if this makes sense...terrible writing...insult to the English language...anyone have change for a twenty. Thanks...enjoy...be merry and rejoice. Peace.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 20

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

I found myself slowing coming back to reality and could not help but notice a great amount of warmth around me, flowing into my body. I also noticed that both of my arms were no longer in my possession but rather seemed to now be owned by the two beautiful young woman who were sleeping on me, each one protectively holding to one of my arms. I glanced slowly to my left, my sight being met with a lot of long red hair. I glanced to my right and my sight was met with a lot of long purple hair. I couldn't help but breathe in the beautiful scent that was Raven, reminding me of memories from the beach. They do always say that scent is the best way to remember.

I found a smile forming on my face as I turned back to look straight ahead though not really focusing on anything. This was how it had all started, with these two unbelievable woman, and the dilemma I had faced then I realized was so blatantly minuscule to what I faced now. I also couldn't help but realize that when all was said and done, an answer to one of the original questions had probably been answered when I hadn't even been looking for it, when I had been caught up in so many other things that I really didn't even think about it. Well at least I think I had an answer.

Its funny how things work, it really is. In the face of impending complete and total annihilation, a person can still not truly make himself understand what lies within their own heart though it is so clear that I can almost taste it. I think that...I think that I want to love her.

There is suddenly shifting next to me as Raven adjusts herself so that her hair is now tickling my face. Of course the real conundrum was the fact that I didn't exactly have a free hand to itch the growing feeling on my face and I somehow knew that I would hate myself if I ruined this moment with these two beautiful forms using me as a pillow.

So I found myself with no real choice at the moment and simply endured the minor inconvenience with a small smile on my face. If this was the worst thing that would happen to me today, then well, I'm the luckiest guy in the world.

Eventually all moments must come to an end and of course it took Beast Boy to end one such as this. I watched as he began to stir and his groggy gaze eventually fell upon my situation. I watched as his eyes slightly widened as he nudged the 'sleeping' Cyborg next to him and whispered to his mechanical friend.

"Hey Cy, wake up. You have got to see this." Cyborg's one eye slowly opened and he let out a huge yawn.

"What is it little man?"

"Look at those three. I bet you never thought you'd see that." Cyborg's gaze also fell upon me and I watched as he chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, have you ever seen both Starfire and Raven look so peaceful? And all it took was the human traffic light to act as a pillow." Beast Boy started laughing and started prancing around the room talking in a terrible imitation of my voice.

"Oh look at me...I'm Robin. I dress like a stop light but I still get all the girls. I'm the greatest." Cyborg couldn't help but laugh at his small friend.

"That's great man. You just better be lucky he's still asleep or he'd smack you upside the head for sure."

"Yeah I know man. Its kinda creepy though because he almost looks like he IS awake." Beast Boy's face was now a few inches in front of me as he seemed to be studying my face, intently staring at my mask.

"I don't know how he sleeps with this mask on. I mean that can't possibly be comfortable."

"I normally don't sleep with it on Beast Boy." Beast Boy let out a startled yelp and jumped back as I made the fact that I was awake known to him.

"Geez Robin, you almost gave me a heart attack. I mean come on..." Beast Boy suddenly stopped talking as he realized a very important fact.

"Um Robin...how long have you actually been awake?" I forced my face to become very serious as I glared at him.

"I'm always awake Beast Boy because as you know, I am the greatest." I watched as his face became increasingly worried looking and Cyborg started laughing which in turn caused me to break my stony hold on my face and a large smile soon arrived. Beast Boy began stuttering, trying to form some coherent explanation or apology and I even think he tried to blame space aliens or reverse vampires. It was hard to tell but all his noise inevitably awoke the sleeping beauties who were none to happy with being awoken by the green prankster. Raven was the first to make her awoken presence known.

"Would you please shut up Beast Boy, this is some of the best sleep I've ever gotten and I don't need you ruining it like you ruin everything else." Her voice was good natured and it was funny to see Raven joking with Beast Boy.

"Yes Beast Boy. It is far to early for any of your shenanigans or your jokes of the practical. Please go away." Starfire's voice was gentle and very sleepy sounding. Starfire was not the best morning person. It seemed only to take a few seconds for both girls to realize where in fact they were sleeping and the fact that from the sound of each other's voices, their heads couldn't have been that far apart, both figuring out that they both had used the same boy as the place to rest their heads. The two slowly lifted their heads, meeting eyes with each other and then quickly and sheepishly sat up straight, the slightest blushes visibly on their faces.

The other two male Titans and I couldn't help but laugh at the embarrassment of the two girls as Raven pulled her hood up to cover her face and Starfire started nervously chattering about nothing. I took this moment, with my now free arms, to scratch the itch on my face and to stand up, stretching out all my joints. Sleeping sitting up in my uniform wasn't the best of ideas for my body. A few loud, satisfying pops later and I was once again standing straight and tall.

"So how about some breakfast."

Moments end, time marches on, and so to must we all continue to move forward. During the past two weeks, for an outside observer, the occupants of our tower would have appeared closer and happier than ever before. They would see a normally reclusive dark young woman spending more time with her friends than ever before. Shopping with Starfire, going to the movies to see a comedy with Beast Boy, working on the T-car and discussing philosophy with Cyborg, and with me, chess had become an after lunch routine.

However, what was underlying everything was a strong sense of fear, a strong presence of desperation, and a grim acceptance that eventually, an end would be coming one way or another. All the happiness we felt as we enjoyed each others company on a level we all had really never appreciated was met with equal amounts of worry. For every hour Cyborg spent with one of us, he spent an hour building more defenses into the tower.

For every joke Beast Boy made there was a new animal he researched that would prove more effective in fighting against the fire attacks of Slade, occasionally rubbing his casted arm with a grim look on his face.

For every song sung to Silkie by Starfire, she would sing a battle song as she waged war against the training equipment on the beach, unable to shake the images of the Great Beast Trigon whose horrifying form graced the pages of Tamaranian Fairy Tales.

For every smile that graced the face of Raven, there was a frown that marred her beauty as she sat alone in her room, meditating, seeking to maintain control, hoping for an answer that she knew would not come.

And me, well lets just say I am becoming dangerously close to running out of punching bags. For every time I am privileged with seeing that smile on Raven' s face, I am forced to watch her door shut in my face and the inanimate objects pay the price. She has become closer to all the Titans ever since that one night though I feel that she still has found a way to drift farther from me. We spend time together though she seems to refrain from making any comments on exactly what was going between us

I understand that I have no right to question her behavior or force her into any conversations she does not want to have but I can't help but feel I am losing my last chance for...something.

I think that Raven is only trying to prepare herself for what is to come and more than likely what she feels for me is so powerful, that it would only serve to imbalance her as she works to control all of her darker aspects. She did tell me she can feel them growing stronger with each passing day, only more proof that it was approaching, and it is taking increasing amounts of mediation to remain calm. I will not push her. I guess I have to accept what I have now and that is simply spending time with all of my friend's while I have it.

Another punching bag explodes from my fist and a little of the dust caused me to cough. I still feel a lot of pent up frustration but I know it is late and I really should get some sleep. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Actually, I know what tomorrow could bring and that is why I doubt that I will be able to make myself fall asleep with ease. I wipe some of the sweat off my face with a towel and head toward a long, hot shower before heading back to my room.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos...Azarath Metrion Zinthos..." Raven quietly chants her words over and over again as she floats in the air within the confines of her room. She had been increasingly happy over the past two weeks though she had also been increasing troubled. She was doing her best to live in the moment, to simply bask in what she had now and to take advantage of it yet she still was incapable of truly embracing this idea.

Her darker side was becoming more vocal, a sure sign that Trigon's power was beginning to manifest itself on the borders of this dimension, and she was being forced to spend more time quieting these voices. It was a difficult task..

Despite her having spent more time with her teammates, doing more activities with them then she probably had ever done before in such a short amount of time, her mind always seemed to flow back to one particular instant, the one that had helped spark this all.

The moment when Robin had grabbed her hand when she had been healing him in the hallway, that moment when they had locked eyes with nothing standing in between his soul and hers, she had felt something that had simply been incredible, and her mind always would wander back to what that feeling had actually been.

It could have simply been his deep desire to protect her and stand by her at all costs, it could have been a lot of things, but Raven almost dared herself to believe that it could have been that what she wanted most.

Again she repeated her mantra in her head as she did her best to resist these thoughts while she meditated because it simply was not mediation of the entire time was spent thinking lovingly about Robin. She needed to clear her head so that she could focus on what had to be coming soon. She knew that the time was very near and she was preparing herself for what she might have to do.

Suddenly, Raven saw a flash of red and lost her concentration. She fell to the ground, startled as to what had happened.

"What was that?" She stood up only to be met with another flash of red and this time when her vision cleared, she found herself not in her room, but what could only be described as Hell.

It was hot, unbelievably hot and Raven knew there would be no relief from it where she was at. Fire and lava moved effortlessly around the lone piece of solid matter that seemed to exist which she now stood upon. Above it all, standing out in the infinite darkness of the sky above, was four burning eyes of the greatest evil.

"Greetings daughter. It is good to see you again." The word daughter was said with malice and mockery and hearing the word said by this evil being made Raven shiver despite the overwhelming heat around her.

"You are not my Father. You are nothing to me but a terrible burden, something I wish would only fade away forever." A dark, bellowing laugh emanated from the sky itself, wrapping itself around everything.

"I am not going anywhere daughter for the time of my release has finally come. It is time to gain my freedom and it is you who will release me back into the world of mortals so I can finish what I started long ago."

"I will never release you. Do you hear me. Never! You will stay locked away where you belong for all eternity you bastard." Again his laugh echoed around her as well as within her own mind.

"My dearest Daughter, you no choice but to release me. It is the reason that I made you, it is the only reason that you even exist so do not continue to try and deny your one and only destiny. You WILL release me and everything shall burn!" Raven couldn't help but cover her ears as his booming voice made her head fell like it was going to explode. So much power within only his voice, and so much more within him, more than anyone could fathom.

"No...I won't...I won't let you win, I won't let you hurt anyone."

"My foolish little girl. You won't be able to do anything except what you are meant to do. You may be able to defeat my emissary but he will only come back time and time again. He can not be killed, he can not be stopped, and you know as well as I do that you can not be everywhere at once. The day will come when you won't be around to protect them from my emissary and when that day comes, they will all die."

"They will die too if I release you." Raven's voice was quiet, meek, not having any of the strength it had only moments ago.

"Yes they will daughter so as you can see, there is no point in resisting. No choice you can make can save your pathetic friends. One way or another they will die. Whether it is by my hand, Slade's hand, or even your own hand when the day comes that you can no longer control my influence within your mind, it will happen. It can not be denied."

"No...please no..." Trigon knew he was winning and for the first time in centuries, he truly found himself smiling.

"Yes...accept your fate. Play the dutiful daughter and become my portal. At least I will make their death's quick and you will not have to see them die. It is your only choice." Raven's head hung wearily, Trigon's words twisting within her mind, its evil logic almost making sense.

"Do not make them suffer more than they have to daughter just because you refuse to be what you are. Release me."

"Noooooooo!" Raven shrieked as she fought against the great demon's influence and in a flash, she found herself back in her room. She was breathing heavily, only the slightest bit below hyperventilating and a sheen of sweat that seemed to be both hot and cold covered her. Her arms were wrapped protectively around herself as she tried her best to compose herself but she knew that it was an impossibility. She now knew the horrible truth, that the time had finally come, and that Slade would undoubtably be waiting on the Titan's doorstep tomorrow to take her to meet destiny. It was time...it was time...but maybe...maybe there was still time for one last moment of comfort.

Robin slept restlessly in his bed, tossing and turning relentlessly as he straddled the line between being awake and being asleep. A dark feeling continued to creep into his mind though it was being fought back by the warm feelings the thoughts of a certain indigo-haired sorcerous brought. He turned over on his back and let out a deep sigh as he absentmindedly rubbed the bridge of his nose, his eyes never once opening.

"Why is it that whenever I want to sleep I can't?" He let out another sigh as he turned over a few times only to find himself again on his back, staring up at the ceiling with unmasked, icy-blue eyes.

"This is ridiculous." He finally sat up, the sheets now sitting at his waist exposing his bare chest to the air as he reached for a bottle of water he kept on a table next to his bed. He took a long sip, feeling the cool liquid sooth his dry throat.

"Maybe I should just..." He cut off his words as the shadows in front of him shifted and formed into a small, solid figure. He blinked a few times at the sight, wondering if his subconscious was playing tricks on him or if he had actually fallen asleep and this was only a dream.

"Raven?" The figure responded by unclasping her cloak, allowing it to fall to the ground, revealing what lied underneath which was in fact Raven's unclothed body. Robin found his eyes almost bugging out of his head at the grand sight in front of him.

"This has to be a dream." His eyes never left her form though he barely took any notice of the fact that she was walking toward him and was now standing next to his bed. She reached out and caressed the side of his face, gently and tenderly, and Robin felt the blood rush to his face as well as other parts of his body at the touch.

For the first time ever, naked blue eyes were locked in an intense gaze with soft amethyst eyes, both filled with more emotions that either had ever felt before.

"Raven..." Robin said her name as he continued to look deep into her eyes and Robin knew...he knew. Tomorrow would be the day. Raven lowered her face slowly, not breaking eye contact until her eyes finally closed as she kissed Robin. The kiss was brief and Raven pulled back, opening her eyes again. This time Robin could see a soft pleading in her eyes mixed in with desire and the smallest bit of moisture at the corner of her eyes.

"Please...love me for tonight Robin...just love me for tonight." Robin's response was to pull her into another kiss, this one far longer and deeper than the last one had been.

The naked young woman curled up tightly next to him, her one arm resting across his bare chest, her long indigo hair obscuring her face. She was lying atop his one arm so he reached over with his other hand to gently brush the hair out of the way so he could gaze upon the beautiful contentment of her face. Oh how he wished that look, this moment could last. He smiled a very small but very warm smile.

"I don't think I can love you tonight Raven...because...I think that I can love you forever." The sleeping girl never heard his words nor the final gentle kiss he placed on her lips before he himself embraced sleep. Dreams had been fulfilled, and soon, Nightmares would consume.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Longer than expected to write, longer than expected in length. Parts are based off of the actual The End episodes just to let you know. Perspective changes are a bit off but I can't seem to make myself care right now. Next few chapters shall be dedicated to **evilsangel, Cherry Jade, Logan X, MyChemsweetie, ravenslair, Cherished18, RavenBraven**, **Teen Titans Obsessor**. Your reviews are always appreciated and always shall be, especially the strange ones that make me laugh. Not enough humor in this world. Anyways, Thanks again and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 21

By: Finalitylife

Robin P.O.V:

I never thought the day would come when I would hate the fact that I woke up alone. I never thought I would actually live to see the day when I wouldn't mind having someone else slumbering next to me violating my personal space and the private sanctity of my room.

Of course it was not outside my understanding that such thoughts must of at one point been mirrored inside the head of the young woman who I was hoping would still be next to me when I awoke. She was not, any presence of her gone except for the smallest bit of her unique scent lingering on the linens of the bed and the pillow I still rested my head upon.

A small part of me was still wondering if what happened had been in fact real and not some concoction of my subconscious mind though I knew better than to believe that. As unexpected and surreal the events of last night were, I knew they had been all too real as were the emotions that I had felt, absolutely none of it fabricated because of Raven's unique powers. It was as if for a few moments, everything made it self clear to me and true clarity always seemed to be in short supply for me no matter the circumstances.

What had almost occurred last night, what I had almost done with Raven...God how I had wanted to but it was simply not to be. It had taken every ounce of my will to not take her then and there, her mind and body had been more than willing, yet I know it was not the right time, it was not the moment for such a joining.

It could have very well been the last night of any of our lives, the last time that anything like that is possible, but to have done it, I would have felt like I was taking advantage of Raven. She had been scared, she had been upset, and I believe what she was looking for more than anything else was comfort...comfort in the arms of the one she loved. That was something that I was able to give her, able to provide a sense of peace for her troubled soul. I only hope it was enough to help her, I only hope that I will have another moment when things will be right, where I will be able to find the courage to tell her waking form what I believe I feel in my heart.

I sat up in my bed, shifting so that my feet settled on the cold floor of my room though I did not rise. I closed my eyes and took a very deep breathe, holding it in for a few seconds before finally exhaling. After another moment of silence, I opened my eyes, seriousness flowing from every part of my body, all other concerns pushed into the back of my mind except for one. Today would be the day, and I would not fail.

Raven stood in her dark room, fully clothed, staring intently at a picture clutched tightly in her hands. It was a picture of all the Titans, before Terra had arrived...even before Robin had taken it upon himself to become Red X, embracing his darker nature for the first time. Raven easily noticed the slight physical changes that had occurred for each of the Titans over the time since the picture had been taken but what was most drastic was the look in three of the members eyes.

This picture was from a more innocent time, before life had decided to throw the worst at the Titans, before they had to endure tragedy as a team, not just from each of their perspective pasts. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and even Starfire had gained a slight edge to their gazes, a sign of maturity, but also a sign of enduring hardship.

Robin...Raven found herself shuddering ever so slightly as she though about his icy-blue eyes that were not visible in this picture, those eyes that held such an intensity last night. Robin changed but it was always different for him than the others. Since she knew him, he had been in a constant state of change within himself, sometimes going backward and forward in his progress, an uncertainty about who he truly was always seeming to influence his decisions. It reminded her strongly of herself, as though she had always known her destiny, she never truly knew who she was, never truly knew what lied deep inside. She had crafted a negative self image for herself, a lack of worth and deep self loathing, and for so very long, that mind-set never even had the slightest of cracks in it.

However, two weeks ago, all that was shattered by the deep, caring feelings that flowed from all of her friends and last night...simply being able to feel the emotions that radiated off of Robin had made her feel like the most special person in the world. Robin had rejected her body last night, though he had not rejected her soul, that much she knew. It was the best nights rest Raven could ever remember having...the universe's gift for her final evening.

Raven set the picture down and dwelled over the thoughts of why she had left him. Raven would not have left Robin's side in his room except for one important occurrence. Right before she awoke, she had a vision of her mentor Azar. The stoic old woman had told her that her destiny had never been one to be avoided no matter what she learned or what she did. It had been a quick and confusing vision, and Raven wasn't sure if it simply had been created by her own mind in response to the knowledge of the inevitable. Azar had asked her one important question...if she had truly found something to fight for...to die for... and Raven had without any doubt said yes to that question. Azar had then gifted her with a rare smile and left her with one last bit of information. Raven had a feeling she understood what was lying truly within those parting words and she only hoped she was strong enough to follow them.

Raven looked over at the clock, realizing it was still early, and decided that she would venture to the kitchen to get some tea and to cook breakfast for her friends before they awoke. It was the very least she could do for them before the end, one last small attempt to show just how much she loved each of them.

Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg all found themselves waking up to the smell of food wafting throw the hallways of the Tower and it was indeed a very good thing. None of the three could ignore the grumbling of their stomachs nor the teasing of their taste buds and hurried toward the source of this impeccable odor. What they found was lots of food and one very surprising cook. There in the kitchen was Raven, an apron on, cooking something over the oven though there was already food placed out in each of the Titans spot waiting for them. She didn't even notice the others arrive. Beast Boy leaned to the right and whispered to Cyborg.

"Hey Cy, you don't think this is some kind of trap and she's going to feed me poisoned tofu?"

"As strange a sight as this is B.B., I don't think there's any ulterior motive here except for her to do something nice." Beast Boy nodded his head in agreement.

"Wait...what does ulterior mean?" Cyborg chuckled and shook his head slightly.

"Just go enjoy the food Beast Boy." While the two had been talking Starfire had floated over toward Raven and Raven finally turned around to notice her friends arrival. Her face was comically covered in various ingredients and she had the smallest of smiles on her face though she let out a startled yelp upon seeing Starfire who was only inches away from her face looking at her skeptically though with concern.

"Are you okay friend Raven?" Starfire placed her hand on Raven's forehead much to Raven's irritation. It was something Starfire had seen people do on television to see if others weren't feeling well. "You do not feel any warmer but you are acting most strange. I have never once seen you do the cooking of the morning food." Raven removed Starfire's hand from her head and again the smile was on her face.

"I'm fine Starfire. I just thought this would be a nice treat for all of you. So you don't need to worry about me right now. All you have to do is sit down and enjoy your food." Starfire's reaction was to give Raven a big hug before flying over to her seat and instantly started digging into the food that was there for her. Cyborg and Beast Boy both soon joined her and Cyborg loudly started munching on the plate of meat in front of him while Beast Boy continued to look questioningly at the food. Raven let out a sigh and shook her head.

"If I was going to do anything to you Beast Boy, I would have done it a long time ago." Beast Boy gave her a sheepish smile before picking up his fork and slowly picking up a bite to eat. It finally made it to his mouth and his eyes widened in surprise.

"This is awesome. Way to go Raven."

"Yeah dark girl. Its almost as good as my cooking...almost." Raven rolled her eyes at Cyborg's comment. Starfire was too busy gorging herself on her breakfast to say anything that would have been coherent. Raven smiled again and went back to her cooking.

No one noticed Robin standing in the entranceway, leaning against the wall. He had been there long enough to see everyone smiling and everyone enjoying the food that Raven had generously made for them. His eyes settled on Raven and he couldn't help but notice how cute she looked in the apron.

He had been ready to call an emergency meeting for all the Titans so that he could inform them of the coming situation but now he realized how wrong he had been. Raven had the right idea. Let everyone have a few more moments of simply living, simply enjoying being together. There would be time for fear, there would be time for preparation, fighting would be inevitable, but this, what Robin could not pull his eyes away from, could not open his mouth to speak words to ruin it, this was what it was all truly about. His footsteps were not weighed down as he approached the others.

Robin P.O.V:

I eventually broke the truth to all the Titans and it truly hurt me deep to do it when they were all so happy. They immediately turned their gazes to Raven, who would not meet their eyes, though she solemnly nodded her head to reaffirm what I had already said. There uncertain eyes then turned to me and I stood tall and confident as I met each of their gazes.

"We fight...we fight until this is all over." That was the extent of my pep talk, nothing more needed to be said because there really wasn't anything else to say. We knew Slade would come, we knew we would have to fight him, and we knew without any doubt, we would have to win.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were the first to get up, heading toward the infirmary so that Cyborg could remove Beast Boy's cumbersome cast. His arm had not healed yet completely, but Beast boy really didn't care. Starfire was the next to get up, grabbing a huge plate of food to bring to Silkie back in her room...a last meal of sorts for her beloved little worm. I couldn't help but feel a stab of pain in my chest as I watched the Tamaranian Princess walk...not float out of the room with her shoulders hunched.

This of course left me and Raven standing there, alone again. She had somehow moved next to me during the course of all of this though I hid my surprise at her sudden closeness. I turned to face her and I couldn't hide my smile at her face covered in the cooking ingredients. I reached up and gently wiped one of the smudges off one of her cheeks and I could see the faintest of blushes appear on her cheeks at my actions. She slowly reached up and took my hand in hers and stared smiling at my face.

"Raven..."

"I need help washing the dishes Robin. Will you help me with that?"

"Of course Raven. I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing." She let go of my hand and we silently walked over to the kitchen sink where we would work together.

Hours passed far quicker than any of the Titans would have liked and soon nightfall came, anxiousness and nervousness at an all time high. I found myself pacing back and forth in front of the windows, waiting for an alarm to blare or some explosion to sound. Cyborg stood by the mainframe, continually checking all the sensors for any movement. Raven floated in the air, meditating quietly to herself and Beast Boy and Starfire simply sat watching the other three Titans.

I glanced over at Raven whose eyes were shut tightly as she spoke her three magical words over and over again and I found my stare continuing to linger on her face. It was at this moment that the alarm finally blared to life and I turned to Cyborg who had a cold look in his eye. The time had come...Slade had arrived.

Slade stood on the rocky ground of the Titan's island, his hands behind his back in his trademark stance. His calculating gaze moved from one Titan to the next, it stopping for a few drawn out seconds on the object of his mission and then stopping again as it settled on his former apprentice, me.

"Well I see you've all come out to greet me on this wonderful evening. Have you all come to say good bye to Raven one last time before she goes to do what she must." I growled at Slade.

"Raven is not going anywhere Slade. It is you who will be saying good bye tonight because when this is all over, you will be defeated and this prophecy will be put to an end. Do you hear me Slade! This will all end!"

"I couldn't agree with you more Robin. Tonight, my purpose as well as Raven's will come to a close, my reward obtained, and after that...well I happen to have a few ideas..." Slade took a step forward.

Cyborg pushed a button on his arm and all around the area, the ground opened up and all manner of weapons rose up, powering to life. Cyborg had a satisfied grin on his face as all the weapons shifted their position until they were all aimed directly at Slade, their guidance systems locking directly on the Mark of Scath on his forehead.

"I wouldn't recommend taking another step Slade because if you do, I can promise that you will find out first hand what it feels like to be pelted with more weapons that most small countries have." Slade turned his head first to the left and then to the right noticing all the weapons now trained on him.

"I am most impressed Cyborg but honestly, do you really think those pathetic little toys can stop me with the power that I wield." I responded.

"Well I guess we'll find out won't we Slade because I have the strangest feeling that you won't be leaving."

"Good intuition as always Robin. Let's see if you expected this." The symbol of Trigon burned brighter for a few seconds and the Titans found the ground beginning to shake underneath them, those forced to be on the ground, doing their best to keep our balance, me having the most success.. The ground in front of us collapsed on itself, forming a deep crevice in the Earth that seemed to go down forever into darkness. Beast Boy tentatively leaned over the edge, looking down.

"Okay, some one want to tell me what that was?" His question was answered as the smallest bit of light could be seen forming deep down. It started out as a single, burning light, but quickly became two, and then even quicker became 100, and then exploding in number until it looked like their was a burning river at the bottom of the hole. It was then that it became clear what was making the light and fear was known.

Beings of pure fire, their flames shifting, and lashing out from their own forms rose up from the depths of the Earth, their forms gathering around all of us, many forming ranks behind Slade, a hellish army under the leadership of this twisted general. Slade laughed a knowing laugh as he looked over at Raven whose eyes were shifting from the demonic beings back to his own form.

"You have no chance Titans. It is time to end this little game we play. It has been fun. Lets see where this all takes us." His gaze was intently on me as he finished his comment and I met it with equal strength, my resolve to fight would only end when my body no longer drew breath.

"Titan's...Go!" The battle for Raven and the Universe had begun.

The Titans fought well with the aide of Cyborg's enhanced defense system, mowing down row after row of hell spawn, but it was fast becoming clear to me that we simply were not winning. For every fire monster destroyed, another ten rose up from the ground to take its place, fast removing any place to even fight by their sheer number. The island of the tower had become a land of fire, appearing like some unholy beacon in the sky. I did my best to keep an eye on Raven as I fought for life as she was the reason for this attack and I instantly noticed something: The monsters would not attack her. They avoided Raven, focusing all their attention on the other Titans, doing their best to overwhelm us. The creatures would not risk hurting their master's portal.

Raven was doing her best to fight but she found that she could not lock on to the non-corporeal forms of her Father's minions, limiting her power to using the landscape around her to attack. However, she found herself spending most of her time providing defense for the others against the relentless waves of fire that kept coming and coming. Raven found herself growing more and more desperate with each passing moment and was slowly realizing that she had only one course of action left...the one the last words of Azar had led her to understand.

I was doing my best despite my exhaustion slowly moving toward its peak, to fight toward Slade who had yet to move, rather only watched with sheer amusement in his eye which only pissed me off even more. The Titans were losing, and Slade had not even move a muscle.

I threw a few freezing disks out, catching dozens of enemies in the icy attack, and followed up with explosive birdarangs to shatter the newly formed ice statues before they could thaw. The path to Slade was now clear. I sprinted without hesitation at Slade jumping high into the air, unleashing as many explosive birdarangs at my target as I could. A massive explosion erupted and I was forced once again to use my cape to shield myself from the flames that sought to eat my alive.

However, I knew that attack would not finish Slade, not after everything I had seen. I did his best to survey the surrounding, looking for the attack that I knew would come. The fire demons seemed to mull around me, avoiding my presence at this moment like they had been avoiding Raven. I knew this was because of Slade.

The attack came from behind me, I never saw it coming. A fist slammed into my spine, causing my entire body to seizure, and I could not help but drop to my knees.

"Too slow Robin, always too slow." I forced his body to roll forward, managing to turn my body as I did so that I was now facing where Slade should have been. Slade was not there and instead a kick met my side, knocking the breath out of me.

"I truly miss when you were still a challenge Robin but I became stronger and you...you became weaker. It is a shame you never embraced who you truly are, but who knows, maybe I still will have the opportunity to see it."

"You know nothing about me." I managed to say through shortened breath and gritted teeth.

"I is you who does not know themself. I know you Robin just as you know me. We are one in the same, simple as that."

"No I am not." I shot up, ready to deliver a devastating punch but Slade simply caught the punch in his own grasp. Slade kneed me in the chest three times and then threw me easily over his shoulder and I found myself slamming painfully into the ground. The monsters had forced Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg into that exact same spot, and the hordes were now surrounding the four of us, with nowhere to run. Despite the pain coursing through my body, it was then that I managed to hear Raven's voice, we all heard it, quiet yet commanding.

"I'll go with you Slade. Call of the attack and leave my friend's alone." I quicker than I should have been able to pulled myself up from the ground, wanting to run toward Raven and Slade, yet the hordes of evil surrounding me and the others kept us at bay.

"Raven no! Don't do it! Get away from him!" Raven did not acknowledge me or my pleas nor those of the other titans. Slade smiled at the words of Raven.

"That is acceptable child. With your cooperation, they are no longer of any concern to me or your Father. They shall be allowed to live...for at least a little longer." Raven nodded in reluctant acceptance but she knew, this was the only way. Raven turned away from Slade and started floating toward the others, the sea of fire parting as she moved by, forming obedient aisles of servants. She eventually found herself a few feet in front of the her friends, her family, her life.

"What are you doing Raven? You can't go with him. We have to keep fighting..we have to..."

"No Robin. This fight is over. It can not be won. I finally understand now...that is was always a futile effort for me to try and escape my destiny. I have to complete what I am meant to do or I never will escape it."

"Do you even understand what you are saying Raven? Do you! You can't let Slade win. You can't allow your Father to be free! You can't..." I was surprised when Raven quickly floated forward, her finger pressed against my lips to silence me. Her voice gentle as I had ever heard it, the other Titans only able to watch on, unsure of what to say or do, continuing to eye the surrounding enemies who appeared to no longer care about them, their attention only on Raven.

"Shhhhhh Robin. I know what I am saying...trust me I know. This has to be completed...it simply has too..." I found myself unable to pull myself from the eyes of Raven. They were filled with the truest conviction I had ever seen in someone's eyes. Raven's hand left my mouth and gentle laid itself on the side of my face, lovingly holding there.

"Robin...my destiny has to be completed but once it is done...there is nothing written as to what will happen...no prophecy, nothing written into stone. Anything will be possible and...Robin...I leave that future to you, I leave all my hope with you."

"Raven, I don't understand. This is madness. I won't let you go. You hear me, I won't let you go." I grabbed hold of Raven's hand, clutching it tightly within my own. Raven only continued to stare with unrelenting strength in her eyes.

"I know Robin..." A surge of black energy suddenly shot from Raven's body into my own and then immediately flew into all the other Titans. I could hear the three Titan's behind me immediately collapsing to the ground though I stubbornly refused to fall despite my body and minds protest, refused to let go of Raven. My vision continued to fade as was my strength.

"Raven..." The name barely came out of my mouth, my whole body not wanting to cooperate, me barely able to recognize the smallest bit of moisture in Raven's beautiful eyes.

"I know Robin...I know you wouldn't let me go. I'm sorry..." and with that, I finally fell into unconsciousness, falling to the ground joining the other Titans. Raven could not take her eyes off her friends though she willed all her emotion back deep into herself. Raven had barely taken notice of Slade who was now behind her until he spoke.

"How touching but really, we must be going. I believe your Father has waited long enough."

"Damn you for this Slade...damn you for making me do this. I hope you burn in Hell for an eternity for doing this."

"Child... I have already been to Hell and I do not plan on going back any time soon." Slade turned around, walked toward his destination, and with one last look at her fallen friends, Raven turned to follow the emissary of her Father to the culmination of her existance.

Raven silently followed Slade as he lead her into the Earth, down a winding stone staircase, the surrounding air continuing to grow hotter and hotter. The world itself was beginning to warp and mold itself as Trigon's increasing power and influence manifested in this dimension. Hell was coming to Earth and sadly, Raven knew it had to be done.

As they walked the only sounds were Slade's armor shifting as he walked, Raven and the fire monsters floating along. Their number had seemed to diminish though Raven knew they were still somewhere out there, more than likely returning to the area of their fiery birth to await their master's release. There numbers were near infinite, only limited by the strength of her Father's malevolence which was without equal.

Eventually, the staircase came to an end at a large circular room. Ancient ruins lined the walls, marking she recognized as the one's that were placed on her body on her birthday. In the center, radiating nothing but pure evil was a large stone claw rising from the ground, the dark hand of Trigon himself.

"This is the place Raven though I am sure that fact is blatantly obvious to you." Raven cast an angry glance at the smug Slade who continued to taunt her even after he had won.

"It should also be blatantly obvious to you Slade that your part in this is at an end, your use no more." With these words, the burning monsters that had followed them there swarmed around Slade, latching their flaming appendages around him to restrain him. Raven couldn't help but smile at this.

"Betrayal...how unexpected." Slade's eye held absolutely no surprise and his voice was thick with sarcasm. The monsters with their prisoner started sinking into the ground while Raven looked on.

"Farewell for now Raven though do not think that after last time I wouldn't be prepared for another betrayal." Raven couldn't fathom what Slade thought he could do though she was unaware of the small golden ring he was grasping in his hand.

With them gone, Raven began gathering her energy, centering herself for what she would do.

Slade's journey eventually came to an end in a very familiar spot, the place where he spoke to the one who had granted him his power. The fire monsters left quickly leaving Slade alone with the four burning eyes lording above him.

"Foolish mortal. Did you really think I would have kept my end of the deal once this your mission was completed?"

"So I guess you won't be giving me my reward then. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to take it by force. Fire formed in Slade's hands and he began furiously throwing fireballs at the great eyes though it was quickly obvious they had no effect, the power he wielded not able to affect the one who provided it.

"Hmm...that is expected but can't blame a guy for trying." Red energy lashed out as Slade and he instantly found himself encased in red energy, his entire body feeling like it was being ripped apart atom by atom. Even the inhuman Slade could not resist the need to scream out in pain though in his mind he was smiling arrogantly, knowing that he would survive this because of the ring on his finger, knowing it was time to enact his own plans for the future.

Meanwhile, Raven was nearing the point of no return, feeling the necessary power within herself. She stared at the hand in the middle of the room and floated above it, taking her position. She somehow simply knew what to do, her darker side taking greater control as she began to speak.

"Oblivion has finally come to pass. I, the daughter of evil, with nothing but hatred and anger in my heart, willingly release that which has been locked away in his own darkness. Arise Trigon and finally return to the world of Mortals and reap a great culling on all those who oppose you." The red glowing marks sparked to life all over Raven's body, causing her unimaginable pain, immeasurable torment. The whole room lit up with the same color as the marks and Raven let out an unearthly scream, releasing all the dark energy that was flowing threw her. In an instant, Raven, the daughter of Trigon, no longer existed and darkness was free once more.

Robin P.O.V:

I found himself slowing coming back to consciousness, the last image of Raven's face still heavily in my mind, her last words still coursing threw my brain. I knew Raven had not given up, knew there was a purpose for what she did, I just needed to figure it out. I stood up with a groan and immediately noticed the changing environment around me. The sky seemed to be completely black, no stars visible despite there being no clouds and flashes of crimson lighting ripped through the sky. A heaviness seemed to settle in the air, making it difficult to breath. I then noticed that the other Titans too were coming back to reality. Cyborg was the first to his feet.

"What the Hell hit me? I feel like I got run over by a truck." I grimly responded.

"It was Raven...she was the one who knocked us out." Beast Boy and Starfire as they rose said the same thing.

"Why would Raven do that?" I shook my head slightly.

"I don't know but she had her reasons. I could see it in her eyes, she knew what she was doing."

"But she said she was going to release her father! Why would she do that? Why would she doom us all?" I looked over at Starfire.

"Starfire...I promise you that we are not doomed. We will not die here today. The world will not end...there will be a tomorrow!" Suddenly what sounded like a massive explosion of thunder hit, the entire world shaking from the occurrence, the Titans finding themselves back on the ground.

"That could not have been good." The answer came as a massive red skinned being rose up from the Earth. Its strange antlers, white hair, and four burning eyes clear to be seen as its incredible size towered over all the surrounding buildings.

"I don't want to die either Robin but I think he may have something to say on the matter." An incredible bellow echoed through out the world as the Dark Lord of Evil made his presence to the mortal realm known once more.

"Freedom at last. This world is now mine." I could only watch in horror as a massive wave of fire exploded from the form of Trigon and sped toward us. There was nothing we could do. I screamed out Raven's name as all was consumed, an entire world ended in only a moment.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: I'm just going to sit back and laugh manically for a few seconds. Enjoy and everyone thank you truly for the reviews. I've been waiting a long time to write the next two chapters so you better enjoy them. Peace.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 22

By: Finalitylife

Trigon breathed heavily upon his release of his destructive power, the great demon lord having trouble catching his breath though he couldn't help but realize he was breathing in the air of this dimension...air that was slowly being contaminated with sulfur and brimstone. Trigon took a few slow, heavy footsteps forward, the ground cracking and groaning beneath his incredible bulk. He growled deeply at the weariness that ravaged his massive, red-skinned body.

For the first time in so very long, he was free...free once more to decimate the dimensions of mortals for his own twisted desires, however his freedom had come at a temporary cost. His escape from the dimension that he had been locked away in had taken an incredibly amount of himself, the separation from the place he had resided in so long had left him with only a fraction of his vaunted power.

Trigon had used much of his remaining power upon his release to destroy the planet in which he was freed upon. He wanted to ensure that no one would survive to oppose him in his weakened state, despite him knowing there were none strong enough on this planet to even remotely bother him.

Trigon reached his destination and collapsed against the T-shaped structure, embedding his body into, his arms hanging weakly against the out stretched sides of the tower. This place would act as his throne, a final disgrace to those who chose to fight against him...to his worthless daughter, whatever could be let of her. Anyone who would have looked upon Trigon as he sat, the way his arms were outstretched, the way his head hung limply against the T, one would have gotten the feeling of seeing some twisted, unholy crucifixion rather than the resting place of the most malevolent and evil being to ever come into existence.

Trigon closed his four burning eyes for a second before they suddenly snapped back open, thinning ever so slightly in a demonic glare. He sensed...life. He clenched his teeth in the closest thing he could come to shock. Four mortals still existed on this charred, burning Hell of a planet and Trigon easily recognized them as the four who had stood beside his daughter. He somehow knew his portal was responsible for this occurrence...some futile last attempt at refusing her destiny.

His clenched jaw slowly moved into a sinister grin. He knew that these creatures had nowhere near the power to destroy him even in his weakened state and none knew or wielded the magic to seal him away once more. His smile increased just a little more, almost to look like he was smiling in happiness. These mortals...they would provide him the first true entertainment he would have in an eternity. Dark laughter echoed across an entire planet...the population of the world now encased forever in stone unable to hear it...though a few unfortunate, surviving souls cursed to hear something so terrible.

Robin P.O.V:

I could clearly feel the unending flame as it tried to eat the flesh from my bones, could feel the raw, unrelenting heat as it sought to turn me to ash, however never once did I truly feel Hellfire. I was never once touched, none of us were. A barrier of familiar black energy was surrounding all of the Titans, protecting them fully from the wrath of Trigon yet what was shocking was that the energy was flowing from each of our bodies.

As quickly as the wall of flame was created, it was gone, moving past us to continue its path of unrelenting destruction across the world. The black energy dissipated around us, once again exposing us to the now corrupted and destroyed environment of what was once a beautiful blue planet. Everything...everything was simply destroyed, the air thick and burning against my throat as I drew breathe, rivers of lava replacing what was once crystal blue water, and the sky was now burning red. The world was now dead...yet the Titans still lived. I clenched my fists as my body tensed up. Four of the Titans were still alive...and the fifth...I didn't know.

I turned to look at the other three Titans, each in an obvious state of shock. Cyborg's eyes, one human, one machine, continued to scan the surroundings, a grim look across his face. Beast Boy would occasionally lift his head to stare at the chaos only to flinch before looking back at the ground. Starfire, the only one of us who was not born to his planet, had tears in her eyes, her arms wrapped tightly around her body, a utter look of devastation on her face. It was painful to look upon.

"Is everyone alight?" No one responded though I really didn't expect one. Everyone was physically fine, I could easily see that much, but emotionally...spiritually we were all broken. The world was gone, Trigon was unleashed, and Raven...Raven was...I shook the thoughts out of my head. She was alive...she had to be. I would never accept anything else. She left enough of her power in us to protect us from her Father's attack and I knew in my heart she would have never helped us to live if this...all this around me was all we would ever see...all we would ever endure again. She saved us because this was not over...she left her hope with me and I would not relent until I gave it back to her.

I looked up to find Starfire no more than a foot in front of me, her eyes settled deeply on me, her body shaking noticeably. I could see the tears starting to roll down her cheek. I followed my heart. I pulled her into an embrace and she immediately started to sob, her face buried into my shoulder near my neck, her arms wrapped tightly around me. I simply just held on as best I could.

"Its not fair Robin...its not fair. Why did such a beautiful world have to be destroyed? Why did Raven had to leave us? Why did she have to die?" She started crying even harder, her grip almost becoming painful though I wasn't exactly registering the pain. The words she spoke, Raven...die...it was painful to hear.

I resolved myself against that possible reality and gentle pushed Starfire away so that I could look in her in the eyes, my one hand taking hold of one of hers, my other hand gently tilted her head up, a scene that reminded me greatly of one we had what seemed like so long ago in the kitchen of the Titans tower. I think it was the last time I truly held Starfire. Her eyes finally refocused on my own.

"Star...this is not over. Raven...Raven is not gone. She simply can not be gone because she would never leave all of us...not like this. We will find her Star...we will find her and the world will go back to the way it was...a warm, beautiful place where we can all be together." I could feel Starfire's eyes burning intensity at that moment and her other hand reached up and gently wiped a few errant strands of hair from my forehead.

"You need to find her do you not Robin...you have much to tell her..." Her head lowered just a little. "I understand..." She knew...she knew. Again I went with my heart. I pulled Starfire into another hug and whispered into her ear.

"You're right Star...I can't deny that but you...I need you here to Star. I couldn't live without you by my side either. I love you Star, you're one of the best friends I could ever dream of having." A small sound escaped Starfire's lips.

"I think...I think I can live with that. I love you deeply as well...friend Robin." We clung to each other for a silent moment within the apocalyptic wasteland, and we simple were. Eventually Starfire pulled away from me with a small smile on her face though a few tears still holding within her emerald eyes.

"Let us find Raven now." I smiled a warm smile as well and was about to respond but someone beat me to it, someone I didn't want to hear at this moment or any other moment for the rest of my existence, however long that would be.

"I do hate to interrupt this moment but I would have to agree with your assessment. It would be best to find my former employers daughter...well whatever is left of her that is." I was certain everyone around me saw red at the sound of Slade's voice and my voice almost sounded inhuman to me as I growled out his name. Starfire was the first to attack, her righteous fury burning bright. Slade made no effort to move.

Starbolts slammed into his standing form followed up by a devastating punch using all the superior strength of the Tamaranian beauty who simply put, was pissed off. Slade crashed into the tattered remains of a building side. Beast Boy followed up by charging in as a rhino, crushing the bastard even further into the wall, a few resounding crunches from the wall as well as his body being heard. Cyborg charged up his sonic cannon, pouring a lot of power into it and targeted Slade.

"You're going to pay for all of this you son of a bitch. I am going to take your damn head off."

"Cyborg...Stop!" Everyone turned to me, confusion in their eyes, anger still on their faces. I repeated my order again though their looks still had not changed.

"Why!"

"Because as much as I hate to admit it, I know him Cy, and if he was here to fight, we would be in a lot more trouble. He has made no effort to attack us and that means he is here for something else. Isn't that right Slade?" I glared over at the man who was slowly standing up to his feet, his body cracking itself back into his. He arrogantly dusted himself off and I wondered if I was doing the right thing.

"You are quite astute as always Robin. I am here for something else. I am here to propose a deal...an alliance if you will against our common enemy." Beast Boy was the one to yell out.

"Our enemy? You were the one working for him. You are just as responsible for this as he is."

"That would be correct but is an irrelevant point for the moment. What matters now is survival, and we have a better chance of surviving working together." No one made a sound, everyone, including Slade, waiting for me to say something.

"What do you have to offer Slade...what are you bringing to the table?" The three other Titans looked over at me, a slight questioning gaze in their eyes though they held their tongues, letting their trusted leader handle this.

"I bring with me knowledge, a plan, and a special gift to help make it all happen." I know he was smiling confidently under his damned mask.

"Let's here it Slade. What do you have planned?"

"Trigon is free, that is simply fact. However, he is also very weak right now, susceptible to defeat though only for a short time as his incredible power continues to return with every passing moment." Cyborg spoke up.

"Well then what are we waiting for. Let's just go kick his ass before he recovers." Slade waved a dismissive hand toward Cyborg as if he was dealing with an idiot child.

"He is still stronger than us, but there is one that remains who may be stronger. It is her we must find."

"Raven."

"Correct Robin. Her mission to become the portal is complete, the cursed daughter of Trigon is no more, yet a part of her still endures, refused to perish along with that part of her. She may be the key to defeating Trigon and surviving all of this." Another moment of silence before I responded.

"What is the plan Slade?" Again I knew he was smiling at how easily I was going along with all of this.

"I know where she may be and I am willing to lead one of you to her."

"May I ask why only one of us?"

"Trigon is weakened though he is not blind. He is all-seeing when he wants to be and I am sure he has noticed your living presences by now. Three of you need to distract him, draw his gaze away from me and one other so that we can get to our destination without him and his demon hordes coming after us."

"It would be blatant suicide for only three of my team members to go up against him for the time that will be needed to do all of this." I gave Slade a slightly cocky grin of my own.

"I imagine you have something to help with this little problem." Slade did not miss a beat.

"Of course. He extended his hand with his palm raised up, a small golden ring with red markings visible in it."

"This is the Ring of Azar, forged by the one survivor of the imprisonment of Trigon, the mentor of your Raven. Even I am unsure of how it ended up on this planet but it was most fortunate to end up in my possession. It will grant the one who wears it vast protective power from the wrath of Trigon, and should give you weaklings a chance to succeed in your mission." Everyone stared at the tiny ring in a slight sense of awe though I quickly broke it. I walked confidently forward and took it from Slade's hand. His gaze met mine as I did so. I walked back over to the Titans who all were staring at me with curious faces.

"I will be the one going with Slade to find Raven and I promise you all I will bring her back in one piece." It looked like everyone wanted to protest for a second but they didn't. I took Starfire's hand, who was looking at the ground, and closed her fist around the ring.

"I entrust our best hope to you Starfire. Please be safe. Please all of you be safe." Cyborg and Beast Boy placed hands on my shoulders and Starfire looked up with a smile on her face. We all simply stared at each other for a moment, the same small smiles reserved only for each other. The moment was finally broken by Slade's commanding voice.

"Robin! Come!" My head snapped around to find Slade already on his way. I gave everyone once last glance before running after Slade, running to find what I had lost.

Slade and I walked through the barren landscape, every sight the same. All the people with horror locked on their face trapped in stone the same way Terra was. It was a chilling sight. I followed a few feet behind Slade, never once taking my eyes off of him, a nagging question within my mind. I finally stopped and Slade took a few more steps forward before he realized I wasn't moving.

"Something on your mind boy." It was a statement, not a question.

"I know you Slade, I know you far too well, and I know there's something else here. You claim this is about survival, but its always something more with you, always something lying beneath the surface...behind the mask if you will. What is it Slade? What is it that you are after?" Slade slowly turned around, his arms locked behind his back just like always, his one eye locking on to me.

"You are correct Robin though I have come to expect such from you. There is always something more."

It was about twenty minutes later and several hundred feet into the Earth that we finally came to the bottom of this twisted landscape. The temperature was incredible though it seemed to not bother Slade at all, though I did my best to longer look upon him. We arrived at a small wooden boat sitting quietly in a river of flame. Slade started talking with amusement in his voice, one of the few times I had truly heard such a thing in his voice that didn't involve victory against the Titans.

"Looks like it is time to cross the River Styx. Are you up to the challenge my boy. This is a once in a lifetime experience." I did not respond but only stepped into the creaky boat, a small part of me expecting to fall right through the bottom into the inferno, a small part of me wanting too. Slade stepped in as well and started pushing the boat along, neither of us saying anything. Another few minutes passed and that is when I heard it...the screams of the damned. The flames around us started moving around with wills of their own and soon formed into the fire demons that Slade once commanded, a few dozen of them now confronting us in a very bad spot. There was very little land around us and the boat would never survive a single strike from their fiery limps.

Slade and I simultaneously extended our bo staffs.

"That is where we are going." Slade pointed toward a dimly lit cave entrance on the other side of the fire monsters.

"Well then let's getting moving. I don't think there is much left for this boat." Our sudden moves had caused the rickety boat to begin to break apart. We were both off and moving, jumping threw the air landing at the same time on the nearest chunk of rock. The demons converged on us.

The horribly disturbing fact that I was fighting so well and coordinated side by side with Slade was not missed by me despite the danger and there were moments I found myself being unable to concentrate on the task at hand, my mind bogged down on other things. I felt a chill through my body despite the unrelenting heat though I pushed it back into me. Finally, we defeated the last monster and landed on the ledge of where we had been fighting toward.

"That was fun. Exactly as it was always meant to be Robin, don't you agree." I could not make myself retort. Out of nowhere, one last demon appeared, emerging from the wall next to Slade. It lashed out, striking Slade in the face, his mask going flying, him stumbling back. With barely any movement, my bo staff was flying, ripping right through the monster, the staff stabbing into the stone wall. The energy holding the creature together dissipated, it becoming no more.

I looked over at Slade and found my blood turn completely cold, except for a continuing burning sensation in my hand. Here I was, the first opportunity to stare upon the concealed face of my greatest enemy, to finally see who he was truly was yet that was not to be. Staring back at me was a skinless, fleshless grinning skull, a single glowing red eye the only sign of anything living, the other socket empty though a jagged red scar crossed over it.

"What the hell are you?" I managed to choke it out as Slade gave me once last look before picking back up his mask and securing it back over his face.

"It is only a minor inconvenience Robin, nothing to worry about." He pointed toward one rocky path that went off to the right.

"It is time I keep my end of the bargain. Down that path you will find what you are looking for. I wish you luck boy."

"What...you aren't coming with me Slade?" A small chuckle.

"I have another path to walk right now, one that goes deeper still. I have to go get what I was originally promised by that treacherous demon and I truly do intend to hold him to our agreement."

"I hope you don't make it back Slade." We locked glares, eye to eyes.

"I know Robin but I never fail in getting what I desire. Good Bye for now." With that he turned around and walked off, heading down further into Hell. I shook the chills from my body and sprinted down the path he had directed me down as fast as I could. It was time I found Raven.

Eventually I found what I knew was the place I was looking for. Up ahead, a darkened, broken church stood, a church I recognized all too well. This had to be the place, there could be no doubt. I carefully walked in, the doors hanging broken from the hinges, providing no hindrance. The place was dark, dirty, and dead and I could not find any sign of my blue cloaked Raven. Had this all been for nothing? Had Slade betrayed me and simply used me to help get him to his destination? I shook my head. No, Slade had not been lying. I knew it.

I caught a quick movement of white out of the corner of my eye, almost barely noticeable but it was there. In a flash I was at the spot where I had seen it. I moved an overturned bench and let out a small gasp. Huddled underneath, clad completely in a white leotard and cloak was a small little girl, no possibly older than 8 years old. She looked up at me with large, terrified amethyst eyes, quivering in fear and I only could say one name.

"Raven..." She flinched back in fear at the sound of my voice and I felt my heart soften at the sight. Slade had not been lying. The daughter to Trigon was no more because this...this child could never have a piece of that thing within her. I slowly squatted down with the most gentle, kind, and nonthreatening smile I could muster.

"Hi there. I'm not here to hurt you little one. I'm here to help you. Do you know who I am?" The little girl peaked out from her cloak which she had pulled over her head to cover herself. I watched as she tentatively shook her head no and I felt my heart break ever so slightly.

"That's okay. My name is Robin. I'm one of the good guys. I'm hear to protect you from all the monsters. You don't like the monsters do you." The young child again shook her head no, quivering a little bit more.

"Well I promise I won't let them near you ever again if you come with me. Do you want to come with me little one?" Her face was completely uncertain, her tiny body shivering even in the extreme heat of this place but she did meekly nod her head yes. My smile grew as large as it could.

"That's a good girl." I reached out my right hand very slowly as not to startle her.

"Come then little one. Let's get you out of this place. There are more people I want you to meet. They are also good people like me and I know they would just love to have a sweet little girl like you as their friend." I smiled as I caught the smallest of blushes on her pale cheeks and she reluctantly took my hand. Feeling her small hand in mine was the only good feeling I had truly had since I left the Titans side, since I left beside Slade.

Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg approached the resting form of Trigon, incredible fear within them. They had fought several fire demons on the way here though thanks to the ring, the monsters were simply blasted from existence the second they got to close. That fact gave them the slightest bit of confidence that they would survive all this, or at the very least long enough for Robin to come back with Raven. Finally, Trigon seemed to take notice of the three mortals who had dared to approach him. His eyes opened and focused on them, fear creeping through every limb of the Titans, real and robotic.

"Oh it is you. Come to try and defeat me I see. Idiotic beings. Begone!" With an incredible bellow, a blast of red energy erupted from Trigon's four eyes aimed directly at the Titans. They didn't even have time to move though in the end, they didn't need to. The blast was intercepted by a barrier of energy provided by the ring and the Titans barely even noticed the shockwave of the impact from the two energies meeting. They couldn't help but smile as Trigon raised a curious eyebrow as he noticed the red markings burning on the ring worn by the red headed one.

"Interesting...most interesting. I see you have somehow obtained the Ring of Azar. It does not matter. Its power can not protect you forever from me and it most certainly can not protect you from yourselves." Trigon barely flicked a hand from where he sat and a stream of black energy was formed screaming toward the three Titans. Again they didn't move, expecting the power of the ring to protect them. It did not. The black energy was not met by resistance and hit Starfire directly in the chest. It passed right through her into Cyborg and then into Beast Boy and they all let out screams of pain. When they finally all looked up, there own confused eyes were met by the cold eyes of themselves.

My hand remained tightly within the small hand of the child I had found in the depths of the Earth within the hallowed out husk of a church. It had been the same church where I had begged a God who did not listen to give me the strength to protect Raven. This child...was it Raven? I believed it was...well at least a part of her. This was the innocent child that never existed because of a dark destiny that had been there since the moment she was born. This was a Raven who was finally free of the unrelenting taint of the purest evil. This was Raven and I would ensure that she would get back to her family in one piece. She had said she had given me her hope for the future...and if this...this child was her future...then I would ensure its survival.

I continued our trek through the bowels of the flaming dominion of the fire beasts, doing my best to keep to the shadows to avoid any detection. I didn't want to fight with little Raven around because it would be hard to protect her if I was busy fighting off the onslaught of demons. As far as I could tell, this Raven had no memory of her time with the Titans...had no memory of who she was and no powers as well. She was vulnerable in many ways so I did not expect her help in any fighting.

We passed through another narrow space and entered into a wider open space, that resembled more of a dark cavern. It was the first place I had found that had not been ungodly hot, dominated by fire and streams of magma. It had a strange coldness to it, a coldness that seemed to cut directly into my core. I took a few tentative steps into it, making sure little Raven was protectively behind me, sensing something wrong, and then...then I realized what I was looking at. This room...this place...it was identical to the place from my nightmares. Cold rocky ground giving way to endlessly dark crevices in the Earth with absolutely no sign of a bottom and the atmosphere...the frightening and eerie atmosphere...there was no doubt...this was the place.

How I wondered, how was it possible that a place born within my own fearful mind could exist in the real world...exist here at this exact place and this exact moment. As if my thoughts were being broadcasted to the world, my answer came. The deep rumbling shook the entire area and little Raven let out a fearful squeak as she wrapped her small arms around me, burying her face in my body, trembling ever so slightly. It was then that I realized the rumbling was in fact deep, dark laughter...the laughter of Trigon.

"Foolish...foolish mortal. Did you really think I did not notice you? Did you really think my all-seeing eyes would not have gazed upon your futile effort to find what is left of my portal? You creatures truly are amusing to me...thinking you can oppose me, thinking you can defeat me." Little Raven continued to tremble against me, her arms somehow finding a way to grip me even tighter, reminding me of one of Starfire's over enthusiastic hugs. As for me...I had no idea what to do at this moment. I had been caught and I really had no plan for this particular contingency. Of course it seemed Trigon had ideas of his own.

"You are familiar to me mortal. The darkness within you reminds me of my former minion Slade. I find it hard a being such as you would even care for the well being of that shell of my daughter." I found myself growling at the monsters accusations.

"I am nothing like Slade. Do you hear me! Nothing!" An amused laugh.

"Do not think to question me mortal. I can see you clearly for what you truly are...what you were willing to do to get this far. I guess I will only have to prove my point...it is time to die mortal but first, you will amuse me." I felt like their was electricity suddenly in the air and I heard a terrible shrieking sound. I searched for the source of the sound but due to the echo in the area I could not identify where it was coming from.

Suddenly, I spotted a stream of black energy coming straight at me and acting on instinct, I pushed little Raven away from me so that she would not be hit. The energy hit me and passed straight through me body. As it did, I could feel incredible pain through every inch of my body, as if it was literally trying to rip itself apart. I let out a scream as I collapsed to my knees but just as quickly as the pain came, it was gone. I gained my breath back and looked up at Raven who was staring worriedly at me. She had crawled over toward me while I continued to try and regain my composure.

I was surprised when she latched onto my side with a soft hug and I couldn't help but smile at the innocent act by the child.

"Its okay Raven. I'm okay." I gently pried her arms off of me and stood up. I extended my hand to help her up when I suddenly felt something...or someone. I gave Raven a look that told her not to move and I started scanning the surroundings, trying to stay as defensive around Raven as possible. Out of nowhere, fire sprang up from the ground between the small distance that was between me and Raven. As if having a will of is own, the fire twisted and turned until it had formed into a flaming cage around the terrified little girl, trapping her within.

I stared in a slight state of shock at the occurrence though my mind quickly went to work on how to free Raven from a prison of fire. I had never had to deal with anything like this.

I barely saw the attack coming. Only by bending back at an almost impossible angle did I avoid the flash of red. I shot back up to a standing position as a few strands of my spiked black hair fell to the ground. I felt my entire body tense up, getting into a defensive stance as I looked for the attacker. That attack had been fast...incredibly fast.

"Too slow. This will be easier than I thought." A instantly recognized the voice as my own distorted voice.

"That's not possible."

"Oh but it is, very possible in fact." Emerging out of thin air came a dark clothed villain with a twisted skull mask over his face and more importantly, a zinothium power core around his waist. I had no idea how he had gotten the belt back...how he was even alive.

"Red X. I knew I was always right about you. Did you make a deal with Trigon to get your precious belt back? Did you sell your soul for more power?" A electronically distorted laugh.

"You don't seem to understand what your dealing with here now do you. I am not Red X, well the Red X you think I am. I am greater than he for I am the original and the original is always better than the pretenders." I found my eyes go wide.

"But I was the original Red X. You can't possibly mean..."

"Bingo. I am you Robin. I am the darkness that you try to pretend isn't there. I am the rush you felt when you were a thief, the smile you got from wielding this incredible power, and the enjoyment you got from attacking your friends though you never will admit it." I only managed to shake my head.

"No...none of that's true...I'm not you...Red X was a mistake." Another distorted laugh that I couldn't help but realize truly sounded like my own.

"I was no mistake. I was the truth." I gritted my teeth as I stared upon the mockery of myself as I extended my bo staff, ready to defend myself against...whatever this was supposed to be. I suspected this was what Trigon's little attack had been. He had somehow created a Red X in my image.

"Well it looks like you want to fight." A sharp X shaped blade formed down both of his arms. "I think I can do that...in fact I know I can do that." The two of us began circling each other, mirroring each other exactly in every step, every tense muscle. He moved with the same grace and fluidity that I did, wasting not a single motion.

"This will not be a game Robin. I will not stop until you are dead, will not hesitate even the slightest bit to cut you to pieces. Do you really think you can handle that?"

"I've dealt with worse." Another laugh as he shook his head.

"No Robin...you haven't."

That's when I heard it. Heavy footsteps, the subtle shifting of metal with each step, a presence that seemed to radiate control and power. This person seemed to emerge right from the darkness itself and though he was wearing a mask over his eyes and his skin was a dull, dead gray, there was no doubt as to who he was. A uniform blended of copper and black, armor plating strategically placed at certain spots, and the emblem of Slade clearly on his chest. It was my face that looked back at me, my stone cold face. It was the apprentice and at that moment, I truly knew fear.

Darkness shall consume.


	23. Chapter 23

1Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 23

By: Finalitylife

On the surface of the destroyed planet of Earth, three dark, grey-skinned dopplegangers stood in front of their counterparts with malicious grins on their faces. They studied their doubles in appearance...they were in no way impressed.

Starfire's double began circling her, disgust on her face.

"Look at this pathetic loser. No wonder Robin could never love you. No wonder he never wanted you. You're worthless, your filth. You think your beautiful...your not. You think your so sweet and nice but your really just a bitch who gets upset when things don't go her way. Your nothing Starfire, nothing but jealous rejected trash, thrown aside for what...a half demon monster who helped destroy the world. How badly does Robin really have to look upon you to make that choice." Starfire felt her inner light not burning as bright as it once had been just a moment ago, her broken heart shattering all over again. Her sadness battling against her boundless confidence and her righteous fury.

Cyborg's double simply stood in front of him, tall and strong, his figure as imposing as possible.

"She may be all those things but you...your not even that. All you are is a thing, a piece of machinery. Your no longer human, hell your no longer anything. You don't have parents, you don't have friends, you DON'T have a heart and you certainly DON'T have a soul! Machines don't have those things. In the end, the time would have come, when you no longer were of any use, when you became too old and obsolete. And you know what they would have done with you machine, they would have just traded you in for a new model, a better model, tossed you right into the scrap heap where you belong. You are nothing Cyborg, nothing but a hunk of metal whose faulty programming needs to be fixed." Cyborg gritted his teeth, seething with anger and rage, though he really was just trying to push away all his self doubt, all those things he always feared to be true about himself since the accident. Was he even human anymore?

Beast Boy's double seemed to move with a confidence that was lacking in its green-skinned counterpart, slowly and methodically closing in on him.

"Now I'm not really even sure what I'm supposed to be looking at here. It looks like it could be human but its green with pointy ears so it must be a freak, a disgusting, spineless freak. Its no wonder Terra turned against you. I mean she had to have been completely insane to even want to spend time with you, well that and blind and deaf. A freak like you should have been beaten to death long ago, your parents should have drowned you when you were a baby. I mean they chose to die rather than live with you as a son. Terra chose to go with Slade rather than be friends with you and she chose to lock herself in stone rather than go back with you. Can't help but feel a little bit rejected I'm sure but I guess your used to it you outcasted mutant. If it makes it up to you, I'll make sure that when your gone, I'll take good care of Terra, all one hundred of the pieces she is soon to be in." Beast Boy felt like crying at the mention of his parents...of Terra but all he could do was shamefully look at the ground in front of him. He was a freak...an unloved freak.

Trigon watched happily from his position, able to feel the despair, anger, and pain radiating off of the three mortals. They were such fun creatures to toy with, so weak and vulnerable, unfit to be allowed existence. Soon enough that problem would be rectified.

As entertaining as these three were, Trigon believed the most amusement would come from the other one...the one who had tried to bring back his portal. This one would not go down as easily and his slow and painful death would be the most satisfying, almost as satisfying as knowing that defiant brat would have to watch the entire thing. Trigon was most pleased...most pleased indeed.

Robin P.O.V:

"Is that fear I sense in you Robin? Are you nothing but a coward?"

"I know you remember the deal you made, it was not that long ago. Your only future is to become me or to die. There can be no other paths for one such as you."

"Ha what a loser. I can see you shaking in your boots. I do hate to stain my hands with the blood of cowards. It always seems beneath me."

"You can not deny what you are."

"Both of you shut up now!" I surprise even myself at the outburst but I can't stand to hear their words any longer.

"Wow, having arguments with yourself. What a nut you must be." I growled at Red X.

"I said shut up." He only laughed.

"Well I guess then you'd prefer fighting. Hope your ready because here I come."

Red X flashed forward slicing at my chest and I moved just fast enough to avoid any contact from him though I left myself wide open for a bo staff to slam into my back. I stumbled forward from the jarring impact only to be met with a kick to my stomach that knocked the breath right from my body. I collapsed to the ground gasping for breath, their taunts already clear again.

"I'm just getting warmed up Robin. Do try a little harder, I need a better work out."

"Weak. You are so damn weak. I shall crush you this day Robin, prove my strength, my skill, what you should have been, what you still may be." I wheezed as I forced words out to respond.

"Big talk from a bunch of shadows. I'm not dying here today because that means I'm letting my friends down and I won't let that happen." One disbelieving, distorted chuckle, one dismissive grunt, and the sound of my boots slowly steading themselves as I got back into a standing position. I pulled out a bo staff of my own, took my stance, and readied myself for the next attack.

Red X charged forward again, the blades on his arm spinning. I accepted the attack with my bo staff, a few sparks erupting from the contact, and pushed him back. I quickly blocked an overhead attack from the apprentice, doing my best to hold the attack back as he pushed his weight upon me, again leaving myself open for Red X who fired a barrage of sharp projectiles at me. I had to drop to the ground to avoid them as they sliced through the air, one grazing my arm, the others just barely missing. I heard a small grunt of pain from behind me that wasn't me.

I shot to me feet once again in a defensive stance, taking a few steps away from them, trying to get some distance. My eyes settled on the apprentice who clearly had a red shaped X imbedded in his chest. He had been hit by one of the projectiles meant for me. I couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like you two are having trouble working together. That's a real shame." Robin watched as the apprentice pulled the object from his chest without so much as a sound or flinch on his face.

"Only a minor inconvenience, much as you are." He crushed the object in his steely grip, discarding it to the ground like a small piece of litter. What the hell was I up against? The problem was I knew the answer and behind my bravado, cocky words, and determination, I was still very much fighting in desperation. I glanced over at the caged child, one of the people I was fighting for at this moment and looking back at me were scared, concerned filled eyes. Her eyes...they were still the same, even after all of this they were still the same two beautiful eyes. I clenched my hands tighter around the bo staff as my two opponents drew closer. It was time to fight again.

This time I took the initiative and threw out a wave of birdarangs at them. Red X acrobatically avoided some of them, deflecting the others with his spinning blades while the apprentice barely moved, blocking one with his staff, and effortlessly catching another in his hand. Wasting no time, I attacked at Red X, catching him with his guard down just the slightest, slamming my staff into his ribs, and sweeping down to take his legs out from under him. He fell to the ground. I rolled to the side just as the apprentice's staff came down, slamming strongly into the ground. I popped up quickly, jumping high into the air delivering a kick right to his jaw. The impact echoed through the darkness. He did not fall, only stumbled slightly from what was a solid impact. I crouched upon landing, readying myself again. Red X was back on his feet and the apprentice only coldly glared at me, as he tilted his head slightly to the side, a few cracks coming from the joint.

"Not even close Robin."

"Yeah, you're going to have to do a lot better than that to survive. Actually, you're going to die no matter what you do so I guess it really doesn't matter what you do. Now that is a shame." I only gritted my teeth, trying to figure out some plan of attack. I could think of hundreds of ideas at that very instant, none of them I knew would work. Again the attack came.

I found myself doing nothing but dodging attack after attack after attack. Some of them were beginning to find their mark on my body, Red X slicing and cutting, the apprentice bruising and breaking. I was starting to get fatigued under the relentless assault of my inner darkness, something I had always had to fight against, only never this literally, and never this deadly. I could hear little Raven cry out every so often when an attack would connect on me which would only illicit a distorted chuckle from Red X and a stony glance over by the apprentice at the trapped little girl. When I heard her cry out, I would find myself pushing harder against my opponents but it simply was not enough. The two of them provided very little time for a counter attack and I knew their techniques to be flawless because they were mine, the ones I had spent hour upon hour honing to perfection. Who would have thought such actions would come back to haunt me like this.

Red X slashed forward, landing a particular deep cut across my chest, me barely having time to even feel the pain before metal slammed into the back of my skull. I fell to the ground instantly, seeing only blackness for a few seconds, the sound of a child calling my name echoing within the fogginess of my mind.

"This has really been disappointing you know that. Here I thought I would be getting a challenge, not some brat's pathetic babysitter."

"Your failure is your own fault, your own weakness the reason your friends have all perished. Good riddance to them, maybe now you can fight without hindrance of pathetic emotions.

"No...they can't be dead...they can't be gone..." I slowly pulled myself back to my feet, my legs not wanting to cooperate.

"They are gone Robin...painfully ripped apart until each was nothing but a scattered set of torn chunks of flesh. I guess you just weren't fast enough, good enough to save them. Haha, a pity."

"I'll kill you...both of you...you hear me!"

"You can not kill us Robin. You can not kill who you are. You continue to deny what lies deep within even as it stares you right in the face. How can you be so blind...so stupid."

"Enough! You monsters are not me! You are not inside of me!" An amused chuckle from Red X and barely there smirk by the apprentice and I couldn't help but think that was what was on Slade's face every time we fought...Slade...damn you.

"We are simply born from you Robin, formed from what was already there. That means you are only denying the obvious truth of yourself but if that is how you wish to die, then...so be it." Red X fired at me a glob of the sticky red substance that was more industrial glue than anything. I successfully flipped out of the way of it...or so I thought. My next move was cut off by something holding me back and I turned to see that my cape had been caught in the glue-like substance. I was trapped for the moment. I watched with wide eyes as the apprentice charged forward, every metal encased step echoing loudly in my mind, his bo staff ready to come down with incredible force. I know the attack would finish me, undoubtably crush my skull. I fumbled with removing my cape from around my next but I just wasn't fast enough. I watched as the staff came down, knowing I had failed everyone...failed Raven.

The impact never came. The staff, instead of crushing the bones of my skull, met a solid black shield of energy. My eyes flashed over to the only possible source. There, from inside the cage, with her arm outstretched, her hand glowing black was the child Raven, a look of confusion on her face, as if she had simply acted without conscious thought, her body with a will of its own.

"Raven..." The apprentice did not hesitate for a second. He reached to his belt and flicked his wrist toward Raven. I could only watch in horror as the same birdarang I had attacked with, the one he had caught, was now flying through the air toward Raven. The little girls eyes widened, her body still had not moved from when she had used her magic, and the birdarang pierced right through the center of her outstretched hand. Her scream of pain was terrible. She fell back, curling up into a little ball, as her sobs of pain relentlessly poured out of her small form. The apprentice only said one word.

"Nuisance." I felt myself growl.

"I'll kill you, you bastard!" I had finally gotten the cape off my neck and I tackled the apprentice to the ground, landing on top of him. I started slamming my fist into his face, me smiling inwardly at the sickening sound of his nose breaking.

"I won't let you hurt her! I'll kill you! I will destroy you!" The apprentice pushed me up, slightly off of him, only serving to make me an easy target. Red X's fist slammed into my face and I was positive my own nose had just broken as blood began streaming out. The apprentice threw my dazed form off of him, the world going around and around as I rolled over the ground before coming to a stop on the rocky ground. I forced myself to my hands and knees, my rage at what had happened to Raven still fueling my adrenaline but I didn't even have time to get up. I savage kick met my ribs causing me to roll over a few more times, once again robbing the breath from me.

I fought the urge to vomit as I struggled to find any breathe, once again finding myself on my hands and knees. I could still feel the blood flowing nonstop form my nose. I never saw Red X appear out of thin air high above me and he came down with his boot, all his force, all his weight, directly on to my left hand. The bones there crushed instantly from the impact and I screamed out in pain. Red X twisted his boot into my hand, causing me to scream out even more, finally stopping as he stepped away. I pulled my crippled hand to my chest as I sat there on my knees trying to fight away the pain only to look up as the apprentice delivered a devastating kick straight to my jaw. Blood shot out of my mouth upon impact and I collapsed over to the ground with a thud, my bleeding face meeting the ground, a puddle of blood forming around my head in the rocky, dirty ground.

"You threaten to kill us, threaten to destroy us...and in doing so, only prove what we say is true. We are you...this can NOT be denied. Let this be your final thoughts as your own darkness destroys you." Despite every protest of my beaten and bloody body, I pulled myself to my feet, standing on uncertain legs.

"No...I'm not you..." My defiant words were cut short as Red X crushed an elbow into my sternum and the apprentice slammed his bo staff into the side of knee with no remorse. I stood a few seconds, before collapsing to the ground again, unable to breathe, my one leg damaged enough so that I couldn't hold my weight anymore. I was broken and I was beaten. I'm sorry Raven...I'm so sorry.

On the surface, the other Titans had waged similar battles as Robin did, though nowhere near as difficult as the one the boy wonder faced. His darkness was far stronger than that which lied in the other Titans, far more unrelenting in its quest to consume. They too had been fighting a losing war against themselves when they slowly realized they could not win against themselves, though that didn't mean another would not be more successful. They had changed opponents, each one fighting another of their friend's darkened enemies, and in the end had defeated them. They could not defeat their own inner darkness, but with the help of their friends, they had been victorious.

As the three weary friends gathered together, Starfire had a grim reality to show them. She outstretched her one hand and within it was the Ring of Azar...now broken, shattered into many pieces. Its protective power was gone, their best hope of surviving this gone. Trigon's deep voice brought them back to the current situation.

"I am most impressed at your victory mortals but now the Ring is gone. It is time you are destroyed." The great beings eyes flashed brightly and the ground tore open violently. Out poured hundreds of fire demons, blood lust in their eyes, all set upon the three heroes. Beast Boy looked over at Cyborg with a sad smile on his face.

"We're going to die aren't we Cy?" Cyborg slowly nodded his head.

"Oh yeah." He gave his green best friend a strange grin. "But that doesn't mean we won't go out fighting to the very end. The three friends smiled at each other with acceptance though with no less determination in their heart.

"For Raven." Beast Boy morphed into a giant gorilla.

"For Robin." Starfire powered up starbolts in her hands.

"For everything." Cyborg powered up his sonic cannon. The end had finally come.

A/N: Split this into two parts...why? Because I'm a jerk. No wait...wait...its more dramatic that way. Next part up sometime this week...maybe. On another note, I did complete another story, Door that Can't Be Closed. Its always a good feeling to finish a story. So what does this mean to you as a reader...One: If you've never read it, you can now in its entirety. Two: For those that care, I will be soon continuing the one story I haven't worked on in a few months so fans to that, it should be soon. Three: I want to start a new story soon so be aware of that. In the mean time, any one want to see any particular quick one shot written...let me know. Oh and thanks to all who reviewed...always cool.


	24. Chapter 24

1Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 24

By: Finalitylife

Slade slowly made his way back to the surface, a demonic weapon from his battle held within his hands...his hands that once again were made of flesh and blood, instead of only hard bone. He was alive once more and it was truly an invigorating feeling. He had won his battle against Trigon's true minion, taken back by sheer power of will what was owed to him from his deal with his former "master."

However, all was still not finished, that much he knew. He may have regained what he had lost from when Terra knocked him into burning lava, but still, nothing was over. Trigon still existed, slowly anchoring himself back into the realm of mortals, his purpose to consume everything in a wave of unending and relentless destruction and wrath. This simply was not a good thing in Slade's eye as it did not benefit him or his future plans now that he had his life back. Trigon had served his purpose to Slade and now he was no longer needed.

He had gambled with the devil himself, and Slade intended to come out on top though this was not entirely in his hands anymore. Robin needed to come through...needed to bring Raven back. Raven was the only one with the power to defeat the great demon lord. It was his final gamble. If it failed, then it was over. If it worked...Slade chuckled darkly to himself as he sliced a fire demon in half that just happened to get in his way. If it worked, Slade had one more bargain to collect on.

Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg fought valiantly against the unending sea of fire but they could feel their energy starting to dwindle once again. They knew their battle was in vain, knew that they were only hoping to buy time for Robin and Raven. Of course they did not know that Trigon was already well aware of the two birds and what had been attempted nor were they aware that He had amused himself with Robin just as he had done with them. None of them had any idea that Raven, their last hope, was nothing but a child without memory and that Robin was only moments away from death at the hands of himself.

Beneath their final stand, the bloody body of Robin remained on the ground. The combined attacks of both Red X and the apprentice, both born from the darkness within, had decimated Robin. The only movement from his body was a jerky seizure as a ragged cough of blood escaped his mouth. The two dark warriors circled the fallen hero, like vultures circling their dying prey. Robin's gaze was hazy and distorted but in front of him he could see a cage of fire with its precious prisoner inside...precious to him. Her amethyst eyes bore into him, no more tears pouring from her eyes, instead replaced with a quiet wisdom. She clutched a tiny, bloody hand to her chest, it continuing to stain her once pristine white uniform, though she did not care. Robin managed to say one word even as pain continued to ravage his body, as blood hampered his ability to speak.

"Raven..." The child gave him a reassuring smile. As those beautiful eyes continued to bore into him, a moment popped into Robin's head, from when he had confronted Raven after she had revealed what she was to everyone. She had screamed at him through the door to her room, told him that you can not fight who you are. Robin painfully chuckled to himself. He had agreed with her then, told her though that what she believed herself to be wasn't who she was. He was only remembering this all now, after everything.

It had been different for Raven because she herself was not evil, without her father she was innocent. She had not been fighting who she was, but rather what her father wanted her to be, but Robin...Robin finally understood, could no longer try and deny himself, pretend to be innocent. These creatures of darkness that had brutally and cruelly beaten, they were him, they were inside of him...what they had said was all true. They were him and you can not fight who you are. It is and always was a futile effort on his part...he now realized this.

Robin gave the child Raven...if she was that anymore at this moment, a soft smile. He could have sworn he saw the face of his Raven there instead of the one of an innocent child right before he started to move again. With the sound of crunching bone from his left hand, he pushed himself with both of his hands up, slowly, choking up more blood. He found himself on his knees, even more pain coursing through his body from his damaged knee, the terrible ache shooting straight up his spine until it seemed to hurt in every limb. He reached to his belt and pulled out another bo staff, extending it, using it as a crutch to help himself to his feet. His one leg was not useless, he suspected nothing was broken, but it was terribly weak and this was the only way he could stand at this moment.

"I'd say I was impressed with you actually getting up but then I'd be lying...and come now, do I look like a liar? Of course not. Should have only worried about yourself kid, only worried about number one but I guess that is a little listen you'll never learn." The skull mask of Red X flashed by Robin's eyes. Red X was his arrogance, his selfish desire to wield incredible power like so many other heroes, even if it was potentially destructive. Red X was the thrill of being a thief, of being simply free of the responsibilities Robin had placed on himself, of walking that line between light and shadow.

"That staff is just like everything in your life...nothing but a crutch, proof of your weakness. Your friends, your emotions, that worthless demon bitch over there, they are nothing!" The cold, stony face of the apprentice flashed past Robin. The apprentice was what in a way he had always strived to be...strong, powerful, and in complete control. The apprentice had no weaknesses within, was a being of perfection in purpose and action. No hesitation and no regret...and most importantly...no guilt. It was another type of freedom for Robin, to be free of the emotions that always seemed to ravage him on the inside, to be free of his self doubt and fears.

They were him, and he was not going to fight anymore.

"I'm not going to fight though I have not given up. I simply understand now what has been in front of me the entire time and I can not escape it. I accept it...accept all of it and now, neither of you can hurt me because I know who you are...you are me, and nothing more."

"Don't be so sure you fool!"

The two dark beings charged at exactly the same time, their swift movements passing through the dead air in the area the only sound. Robin made no move to defend or attack, simply stood there stoically, his eyes locked upon the worried face of a little girl who he had sworn he would protect from the monsters...his monsters. There was neither submission or defeat in his heart at this moment, but instead acceptance, and a will to endure even in his own darkest hour.

The two attackers converged on their target, the apprentice now wielding a spike at the end of his staff, Red X extending his spinning blades even longer. The two attacks should have met, killing Robin but instead they simply passed through him. Instead the staff continuing forward piercing Red X straight through the chest. Instead the spinning blade sliced the apprentice across the throat, nearly cutting off his head. There were no sprays of blood, but instead the dark figured suddenly formed into small balls of black energy before slamming back into Robin's form.

Robin stood for a few seconds, a satisfied smile on his face, before once again collapsing to the ground. The cage of fire surrounding little Raven took this moment to dissipate and she found herself free once more. She moved as quickly as her short legs would allow her to the side of her fallen protector. She dropped to the ground next to him, her small hands pushing against his side, trying to get some reaction from his motionless form. Her silent prayers were finally answered as Robin turned over so that he was looking up at the child's face.

"Hey there kid, sorry I didn't do a better job of protecting you. How is your hand doing?" The little girl slowly raised her hand so that he could see it, a small bit of blood still flowing.

"That needs to be wrapped up but I don't think I can do that right now. Sorry." The little girl only nodded a little bit, unsure of what to do.

"I almost forgot to say thank you for saving me. I would be dead right now if it wasn't for you...twice in fact, though I doubt you could understand the second time. You know, you really remind me of someone I know. She was ain incredible person, selfless, brave, gentle, and very beautiful. I cared very deeply for her and then she left, left because she had to, to protect us all. Its moments like now, even when everything feels like its all over, I can't help but think of her, and I know...I know all is not lost because I still believe in her with every fiber of my being." Robin gave the child a small smile which was returned and for a second he thought he almost saw an aura of white around the little girl.

The moment was ended as the very Earth began to shake, rocks starting to fall from the ceiling and Raven gripped on to Robin tightly in fear. The source of the disturbance was soon made clear as a massive hole in the ceiling formed above them.

The massive red claw of Trigon came through the newly opened hole to the surface, its target set on Robin. Once again acting on pure instinct, the emotions that simply dwelled deep within her, emotions she could not deny nor understand, the little girl found power flowing through her body. She allowed it to be unleashed and a black dome of energy took form over her and the one she was trying to protect. The great hand slammed into the dome, it shimmering out of existence almost completely but little Raven forced more power through her body and it reformed.

"Insolent child! Do not interfere! Fire unleashed from the palm of Trigon, burning into the protective bubble, easily overcoming it. Raven felt the power leave her and could only watch with terror in her eyes as the enormous hand backhanded her away from the one her heart was screaming for her to protect. The little girl flew through the air like a rag doll, slamming into the ground, finally coming to a stop only inches from the edge of the rocky ground...inches from falling into the abyss.

"Raven!" Robin screamed out for her the second Trigon attacked her and as Trigon's dark laughter shook the entire world, Robin did his best to crawl his body toward the hurt little girl. He did not make it very far as Trigon wrapped his gigantic hand around Robin's body, squeezing tightly, eliciting a scream of pain from the already badly hurt young man.

"Dear daughter. I am so glad to get the chance to see you again because now you will have the opportunity to watch all these so called heros die by my hands. They will be the first mortals in ages to personally fall to my greatness. It will be their reward for being of such amusement to me, almost as amusing as your pathetic resistance of your destiny all your life." Trigon pulled Robin toward the surface as Raven's tiny body began to stir. One blow...one hit from the beast and her whole body ached all over, yet she would not stay down, would not give up.

Within her mind, she was beginning to see faces, familiar faces that gave her feelings of safety and warmth deep inside and most prominent of them all was the one who she had wielded such power to protect from the evil. Robin...that was his name, but to her it felt like more than a name, it felt like a reason to never give up. Other names slowly surfaced...Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg, each one reminding her of something different though the beautiful emotions accompanying each was always the same. It was love...unconditional and unending.

The little purple haired girl found her body once again brimming with a familiar energy only this time, there was something different about it. This energy eased her aching body, soothed her fears and her worries, and empowered her very soul. Little Raven's entire body began to glow with a perfect, brilliant light that pushed back every shadow with its shine. Hope would battle back against the darkness...it had no other choice.

Robin found himself being pulled toward the burning sky of the surface world, his screams of Raven's name being cut off by the fact he could barely breath as Trigon's grip felt like it was going to crush his chest at any given moment. Robin could not get the image of the child Raven lying unmoving on the ground all because she was trying to protect him. He was supposed to protect her...he had promised. It was just another promise he couldn't keep and now...now he fought the urge to believe it was all over. His journey into Hell itself seemed to have come up short, his attempt to try and save Raven...save this world, gone. A small bit of him still believed there was a chance because he still foolishly allowed himself to believe that his Raven was not gone, and would come back to protect them all in this final hour.

Robin soon found himself face to face with the dark lord and even he couldn't help but feel fear when faced with the gigantic, sharp toothed grin of Trigon.

"You have shown much perseverance to make it here mortal. If you really wanted to die by my hand...Haha...you should have just come to me first instead of sneaking around the bowels of this planet." Trigon's voice this near was close to deafening, and Robin felt like his head was going to explode.

"Your other pathetic friends continue to fight though I think it is time to put a stop to this." Robin turned his head, following Trigon's vast gave, his sight landing upon Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy fighting relentlessly again the army of fire. They looked tired, worn out, though they continued to fight. Robin felt a swell of pride as a leader and as a friend as he watched the scene.

However, it was soon to all end. Trigon raised his other great hand and with a deep chuckle, a great beam of red energy erupted from his palm directly at the Titans.

"Nooooo!" Robin's cry made no difference. The beam impacted upon the spot where the Titans fought with a great explosion and when everything finally cleared, the three warriors were on the ground, unmoving. Robin felt like screaming again though he knew it would do no good.

"They are not dead yet mortal but only because I want my daughter to watch me finally finish them. My treacherous daughter must pay for resisting me for so long for no one opposes the will of Trigon!"

"Well I'm going to have to disagree."

Slade came out of nowhere, wielding a burning axe, slashing at the wrist of Trigon. The great beast let out a bellow of pain as the weapon seared into his flesh, dropping Robin. The boy wonder found himself suddenly falling threw the air and acting purely on instinct, reached for a grappling hook and fired at the nearby ruins of a crumbled building. Thankfully, the hook stuck and Robin barely managed to hold on, finally coming to a halt only a few feet from the ground.

Trigon stumbled for just a second before regaining himself, the attack had taken even his all-seeing eyes by surprise. His attention had been far too focused on what was in front of him. He growled as he watched his former minion land to the ground, ready to unleash all-consuming pain upon the one who dared strike him. However, Trigon suddenly felt something...the sudden emergence of great power, and his burning gaze quickly forgot about Slade, and turned toward the source of this impossible occurrence.

Robin dropped the last few feet to the ground, landing awkwardly on the ground, pain shooting instantly through his one leg, almost not being able to stand up. Robin gritted his teeth as he stood on the ground, leaning heavily against the wall for balance, a burning, tingling sensation coursing through his right hand. A few moments later, Slade landed next to him.

"Nice to see you again Robin. I hope I wasn't late." Robin truly didn't have the energy to argue at this moment.

"What are you doing here Slade?" A quiet chuckle.

"Well other than enjoying the fact that I am alive once more, I'm actually here to protect my investment."

"And how do you intend to do that? I highly doubt you can turn the tide of battle against Trigon."

"Oh I don't plan on fighting Trigon. I was simply buying a few moments for that."

Slade pointed out and Robin's eyes flashed over to that direction. His eyes widened immediately at what he saw. From the hole where Trigon had snatched him up from the underground, there was a nearly blinding column of white light erupting straight up into the sky. Robin knew who it was.

"Raven..." Slade agreed.

"Indeed. Now let's just see if she truly has the power needed to save you all, and if she does, well I'm sure you know what will happen." Robin clenched his right hand as hard as he could.

"I truly hate you Slade but I know...I know." Robin again focused on the scene in front of him and watched in awe as a figure floated up the column of light, high up into the air. Robin still could not register exactly what he was seeing because he was not seeing the young child he had found within a burnt out church deep within the Earth, but rather an older version of that little girl...the Raven who he had grown to care so deeply for. She had returned...she had somehow come back and Robin slowly found a small smile forming on his face. She was alive...she was alive.

The column of light slowly faded away though the presence of the light did not as it seemed to radiate from the white-clad Raven herself. Trigon stared coldly through slitted eyes at his daughter who hovered defiantly in front of him, her aura causing him discomfort simply by its presence. Even the great Trigon was not sure of what he was truly up against. Two glowing white eyes met four burning red eyes, and the world trembled as a final hope met the ultimate darkness.

"Dear daughter, I don't know how it is that you are here as you are but I do know it does not matter. You could not stand against me before, you can not stand against me now. You are nothing my daughter, nothing."

"No Trigon, you are wrong. I am not nothing for I am many things. I am a loyal and loving friend, and I am the proud member of a family that refused to bow to your evil. I am a hero and on this day, you shall finally fall to those who only wish for peace." Trigon laughed at the small form of his daughter, as she proclaimed an impossible task. He would not fall for he was forever, his power unmatched within all existence.

"I think not daughter. I can not be defeated, especially not by one who I created." Raven seemed to glow brighter as she spoke again.

"I am many things Trigon but one of those things is not your daughter. You may have sired me but you have and never will be my father. I am here, finally free of your malevolent taint on my soul, and I tell you without any doubt, your time has finally come to an end." Raven continued to glow brighter and Trigon let out a scream.

"Enough! I am the darkness and I can not lose!" Trigon raised his massive hands and unleashed an enormous stream of Hellfire upon Raven's shining form. As the burning attack sped toward Raven, she raised her hands and the fire was met with pure, white energy from her own outstretched hands. The world shook as the two great powers met, only two beings alive and awake to witness such an unbelievable spectacle.

Trigon growled and increased his attack, digging for more energy from his depleted reserve. He knew he had not even come close to regaining his true power, but the dark lord never thought it would matter, never thought an opponent on this pathetic planet would rise up to meet him with such incredible power. He never thought his daughter would evolve into such a being that resisted his attack with her own equal power. The great beast forced more energy into his attack, still refusing to believe for a second he would ever be defeated by the halfling child he only created to be his portal.

"You can not win daughter! No being in existence can match my strength and I can already see you are already weakening. This will all be over soon." Trigon was right, and it did appear as if Raven was losing. The blast of fire was moving closer despite her best efforts though she had no intention of giving up. She continued to think of Azar, her friends...her family, and every single innocent being in this universe and she could feel the power deep inside her growing. She thought of the wonderful love she knew the Titans felt for her, their smiles, and their laughter and she thought of Robin...his intense blue eyes and the feel of his touch, how it always made her feel at peace.

Raven glanced over for only a brief moment at Robin as he looked upon the scene in front of him, him leaning on another bo staff for support. However, despite his weakened state, Raven could still feel him. He was still strong and solid on the inside and she could feel unending confidence and faith from him for her and her fight. He knew she would win and Raven knew...she knew she would not let him down.

Even Trigon was surprised as a massive white bird exploded out from Raven's form, its great wings stretching out wide across the sky. The extension of Raven's soul was even larger than Trigon himself, lighting up a dead world, brightening with white a blood red sky.

The stream of white energy started to overwhelm the power of Trigon and the demon lord found he had almost no more energy to stem the tide of avenging light. Raven pushed harder and her energy impacted into Trigon's outstretched hand's, the great being bellowing in pain as his claws simply disintegrate into nothingness. Trigon stumbled back, knowing fear for the first time in his innumerable centuries of existence as he looked at stumps where his hands once were.

However, his fear was short lived as was the rest of his life for the white energy of Raven quickly continued its purifying assault of the darkness, consuming that which sought to consume, destroying that which was the destroyer.

In his final moments, Trigon realized his great mistake. This power he fought against, this overwhelming light was in fact useless, completely harmless...except against him. He had made a mistake in creating a being that had his power and his blood flowing through her veins and when she became free of his taint on her soul after becoming the portal, a new power was born. His daughter wielded a power that was completely opposite of his own, cancelling out his own, that ultimately repelled his darkness with her light.

With one last futile scream of rage, Trigon, the ultimate evil, was finally overcome by the power of light, his existence simply ceasing for all time. Raven's destiny had finally come to a close.

The immense white power slowly faded away as Raven floated back to the ground. She could feel the power leaving her, knew that what she had done was a one time thing, would never occur again, but she couldn't help but smile. It would never happen again but it would never be needed again. Trigon was destroyed, the physical representation of evil gone, and she was finally truly free.

The great white bird separated from Raven's body spreading out further in the sky and reality itself started to flash back to what it had once been before Trigon's coming, a new day born just as quickly as the world had been ripped apart. A beautiful, sunny blue sky replaced the crimson color of blood, the rivers of lava and fire replaced by streets and grass, the ruins of a once glorious city restored.

Raven's feet finally touched the ground, and it truly felt like years since she had felt something as simple as the ground. She noticed that the people had not returned yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. The world was healed, and life would return. Raven found that she barely had the strength to stand up, her body simply wanting to collapse and go to sleep for a week but still she could not help but smile. Her eyes had settled on the solitary figure of Robin, still using a bo staff to stay on his feet, his eyes clearly locked on her own.

Raven, despite her heavily depleted body, found herself running as fast as she could toward him. As she got closer, a small smile formed on Robin's bloody face and Raven felt her heart burn brighter. She stopped running a few feet from him, fighting the urge to throw her arms around him because she knew he was hurt and did not want to cause any further pain for him. However, her reluctance lasted only a moment as she finally flung her arms around his neck as tears of joy started spilling from her eyes.

"Its over Robin. Its finally over. He's gone...he's completely gone. I'm free...I'm free." Robin wrapped his one arm around Raven, unable to properly hold her with his broken left hand, unable to use his right arm because it was probably the only thing keeping him, and more than likely both of them from falling to the ground.

"I know Raven. You did it...you saved us all."

"I couldn't have done it without all of you Robin. The Titans never stopped believing in me...you never lost faith in me even after everything. You gave me the reason to fight back...your love gave me the strength to overcome. Thank you Robin...thank you for never giving up on me." Robin did his best to squeeze her a little harder, fighting back the smallest bit of moisture forming under his mask. How he wished it was truly over.

Raven pulled away and looked up at Robin's face with brilliantly happy eyes but found only a grim look.

"Robin...what's wrong?" Her question was answered by a heavy applause from behind her and the voice of an almost happy sounding Slade. She also noticed suddenly, the strangest feeling radiating from Robin, a feeling of wrongness.

"Well done my dear. You've saved the world and destroyed Trigon for all eternity...good for you." Raven spun around, keeping herself in between Robin and Slade, knowing he was in no shape to battle, her voice taking on a note of hysteria.

"No no no...its supposed to be over...we're supposed to be safe...why won't you just go away...why won't you just leave us alone!" Slade chuckled.

"Oh don't worry little hero. Now that this little episode is over, you are no longer of my concern. However, it is time for my apprentice to return to me after being away for so long." Raven felt her body freeze up as she turned to look at Robin. His head hung down, and she knew he was refusing to look at her. The strange feeling from him had increased and Raven was slowly realizing what it was. Her acute magical awareness told her it was magic...dark magic flowing within him.

"Robin...what did you do?" Robin did not respond as his head slowly rose in a type of grim acceptance. He stared at the beautiful face of Raven for a few seconds before finally responding.

"Take a look for yourself." Raven knew what he was saying. He was inviting her into his mind once again, to see what had occurred through his eyes. She quietly nodded as her shaking arms rose from her side and her tentative hands were placed on the side of Robin's head. She concentrated as she had done once before and easily found what she was looking for as it seemed to be the only thing on his mind at this moment.

_Flash back (Through Robin's eyes)_

"_I know you Slade, I know you far too well, and I know there's something else here. You claim this is about survival, but its always something more with you, always something lying beneath the surface...behind the mask if you will. What is it Slade? What is it that you are after?" Slade slowly turned around, his arms locked behind his back just like always, his one eye locking on to me._

_"You are correct Robin though I have come to expect such from you. There is always something more." Slade and I stared each other down for a second, a gust of burning wind filled with sulphur and ash blowing by._

_"There is indeed something I am after...something I am going to collect if you will for payment for my services to Trigon. However, there is something else I am after and that would be an apprentice. I want you Robin, I want you back where you belong." _

_"I find that hard to believe Slade. Why would you want me when not that long ago you had Terra try to kill me." Slade chuckled in amusement._

_"My dear boy. If I wanted Terra to kill you, you would be dead. She had orders to kill the rest of the Titans which I might point out she failed at miserably, but you Robin...you were not to be killed. Terra was strong, she had great power, but that is all. She could never follow in my footsteps. She was not smart enough, cunning enough, lacking true strength of will, not one I would want as an apprentice. She was a means to an end. _

_I thought that maybe with all your precious friends dead, you would finally embrace that which is in you and defeat Terra, make her pay for the terrible things she did to you, and when you were all alone, I would have the opportunity to gain my apprentice once more._

_As you know though, things did not work out as I had planned but once again an opportunity has presented itself and I plan not to miss it. I will lead you to where your little Raven is but for a price...you will swear to serve me, will promise once more to become my apprentice." _

_"You can't be serious Slade. There is no way I would ever become your apprentice again." Again Slade laughed._

_"You seem to be missing one very important fact at this moment Robin, one crucial, glaring fact. Me...I can stand here all day if I want, and if the universe ends, it ends. You on the other hand...you need me to lead you to what you seek because...you need to save her. You have to agree to my terms because if you don't, you will lose the last opportunity to save this world and your precious Raven." I clenched my hands tightly as I felt my anger almost boiling but I held it in._

_"Your bluffing Slade. I think you need me to help you just as much as I need you to help me. This is all one giant bluff."_

_"You could be correct Robin, but of course you could be easily as wrong as well. Are you truly willing to take that chance?" I felt my anger spike at his smugness but Raven's face flashed through my mind and just as quickly as my anger was there, it had faded away, the tenseness in my body left, my defiance weakened._

_"I thought so Robin." _

_"Alright, I'll become your apprentice again as long as you lead me to where Raven is. You have yourself a deal." _

_"Now I'm sure your word is as trustworthy as mine but please do forgive me if I ask for something more. Shake my hand Robin, a gentleman's agreement on your honor that you will serve me once again." _

_I eyed Slade suspiciously as he extended his right hand to accept mine. I knew he was up to something, I knew it without any doubt but I also knew I needed to find Raven, that she was far more important right now...always more important.. I reluctantly gripped Slade's hand in my own, and instantly my suspicious were verified as an incredible burning pain suddenly was felt through my hand. I felt Slade's grip tighten on my own as I tried to pull away, the pain soon flowing up my arm and soon throughout my entire body. After what felt like an eternity, Slade let my hand go and I fell back landing on my backside. I was gripping my right wrist with my left hand as the burning pain seemed to be strong in my right hand...where it had started. _

_Slade dropped from his right hand a small object he had been palming. As it hit the ground in front of me I realized it was a small black stone with strange marking on it that seemed to glow. I had no idea what it was but I knew it was the source of my pain. I pushed myself to my feet, ready to attack Slade but instead found my body burning from the inside as I took a threatening step toward him. _

_"Damn you...what did you to me Slade?"_

_"You don't spend all that time in the service of a dark magical being without picking up a little bit of useful information. That stone helped completely a binding spell...one between you and me that finalized our agreement. It is a rather helpful spell in our particular case."_

_"You bastard...I'll make you pay for this." My threat was met with more pain._

_"You see Robin, you will experience absolutely no discomfort or pain if you simply stop threatening me and serve me but on the other hand, if you resist me, the dark magic flowing inside of you will slowly eat away at the very core of your being, your very soul and in the end, will only make you into what I desire. Now I would prefer you help me willingly, but one way or another, I will have my apprentice."_

Raven broke contact and stumbled back from the separating, her heart was beating a mile a minute having just experienced everything Robin had. Tears again were falling full force from her eyes as she stared at the blank face of Robin.

"No...please no...why Robin...why did you do it!" Raven again threw herself at Robin wrapping her arms around his body as tightly as she could.

"I wasn't worth it Robin, my life wasn't worth this...never this. Why...why..." The bo staff dropped from Robin's hand as he steadied himself painfully on two legs. Raven continued to sob relentlessly into his chest, her grip never once lightening.

"Don't go Robin...please don't go." Her grip somehow found a way to get tighter. "I won't let you go...I will never let you go." Raven never saw as Robin slipped his right hand into his belt.

"I know Raven..." A small device was placed against Raven's neck and with a quiet hiss, a small bit of tranquilizer was injected into her. Raven's grip instantly weakened as Robin dropped the device and grabbed hold of her with his arm, fighting against the immense pain in his leg as he lowered her quickly growing limp body carefully to the ground. He looked down at her face as her eyes fought themselves from closing and his name barely made it off her lips.

"I know Raven...I know you wouldn't let me go. I'm sorry..." and with those final words, Raven finally fell unconscious. Robin pulled out his communicator and pressed the homing signal on it so the others could find Raven, and dropped it next to her. He stood back up, not feeling the pain anymore, not really feeling anything at this moment as he turned back to Slade who gave him a slight nod before walking into a nearby, dark alleyway. Robin took one last look at Raven's form, her looking so peaceful, and said three words.

"I love you," before hobbling after Slade. He looked into the darkness of the alley and then took a look back out at the beautiful day that was, steeling his resolve, before stepping into the darkness. Robin took a few steps before he heard the familiar yell of Cyborg.

"They should be over here, lets get moving."

Robin watched as he could see Beast Boy, Starfire, and Cyborg approaching the prone form of his angel...and he couldn't help but smile once last smile before disappearing into the only shadow that seemed to exist on such a bright, sunny day.

A/N: Come now...did you really think it was over...


	25. RedBird’s Regret, Blackbird’s Promise

1Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 25: RedBird's Regret, Blackbird's Promise

By: Finalitylife

I am only a man, only a simple human being without any super powers at all and in the grand cosmic order of the universe, what relevance does my life truly have...it really makes me wonder after everything that has happened. I am a single life and when the dust finally settled with the battle against Trigon, I knew that I had done everything in my own power to ensure the universes survival. I do not regret the decision I had to make.

Human beings are naturally weak, having to rely only on their ingenuity, their cunning and intelligence, and the strength of their will to survive. Trigon, in all his vast power, knowledge, and strength, was easy to understand. He was driven by hatred, rage, and evil, wanting nothing but destruction, fire, and pain. He was as subtle as the atomic bomb, and in the end the strong, rigid, and unbending agenda of the great demon lord fell to ashes just as he intended the universe to be.

What truly was my role in his destruction I wonder still? It was I who sought to bring Raven back from where she had been lost too though I never did complete my intended mission. I brought her near to coming back, but not all the way, the rest of the way she walked herself because in the end, the battle was hers to win, for she was the only one who could.

I played a part, I helped protect a child from the monsters of a demon as well as myself as best as a mere human being could, allowing her the opportunity to bury her past, put an end to her cursed destiny. I played only a small part, and in the end it cost me freedom, giving me a fate almost worse than death I think sometimes. I do not regret my decision.

A man made a deal with the Devil himself and despite all possibilities, he won...he came out on top even when all reality itself said he shouldn't even be alive. I chose to make deal with that man, I chose to make a deal with my Devil to do what I knew I had to do and I lost...I lost.

It is always the same when I end up dealing with Slade all alone yet I always find myself in those situations even when my intentions and reasoning change. Perhaps that is my fate, to forever be locked in a losing battle against the one I most wish to defeat just as it was Raven's fate to fight a losing battle again her Father returning to the mortal realm. Raven's dark fate came to a culmination, her destiny fulfilled when Trigon returned but she found the power to fight back, twisted her demonic heritage into a weapon of light that extinguished forever the darkness of her Father. However, I know it can not be the same for me because after all, I am only a powerless human.

When I'm in his presence, I can feeling the burning within my right hand, but there is also something else, something far worse. It burns...burn inside me though I know it is not truly physical for there is no medical action I can ever take to heal it. It is physical yet completely intangible...how is that even possible? Haha, oh yeah that's right...magic. Its all magic...dark magic that has tied me once again to that which I can not simply escape on my own. I do not regret my decision.

If I don't serve him, do not obey his commands, then inevitably, I will lose myself to the twisted black energy flowing within my very soul. If I willingly serve him, I fear I may lose myself to the shadows that I know are an unavoidable part of me. I scares me, it truly does. I know I am not the perfect hero, never was, but I also know I am not a villain, and definitely not the villain Slade wishes me to become.

The only saving grace is that Slade wants me to voluntary serve him rather than have to use the dark spell he cursed me with. He wants me to choose to follow him...to become him, this much I know. The curse is his insurance to keep me around and if his worst case scenario comes to past, the spell can effectively make me what he wants. The curse keeps me around and in time, Slade believes he can show me the truth of what I am, the truth of what he truly represents, and sway me to his malevolent side. I want to believe it will never happen, though in the darkest corner of my mind there are doubts...doubts that whisper relentlessly.

Slade will take it slow, this much I know, not force me to make any decisions he knows I will immediately refuse. He will not ask me to kill and never have I been more thankful about anything than this. He wants a killer, but he wants me to become a killer, not be warped into one.

This has become my fate and I have no regrets because I did what I had to do, and in the end, I did the right thing. Most importantly I did my part to ensure a world would have another dawn, and in doing so, I made sure my beloved friends would live another day safe from unending darkness. In the end, it was all I could do, and I have no regrets...except for one...one single regret.

This all started so long ago, with the innocent confession of an amethyst-eyed angel and my careless decision on how to deal with it. So much has transpired, so much has come to pass, and so many questions were finally answered, including one question that hung in the background of even the greatest of apocalyptic events. Do I love her? Four words and only ten letters, doesn't seem like that much of a question, but it is one of those questions that is beyond the scope of its words, far beyond the scope of anything that can simply be seen.

It consumed me once, and even now it still consumes me though for a different reason. I once did not know the answer to this question, had not the slightest clue where even to begin to answer it, and I remember being driven nuts by the situation and its consequences. Now however, I know the answer to this question, know without a shadow of a doubt that the answer is in fact yes, yet my one regret is that I never got to tell her...not when she was conscious to hear it at least. I am such a coward still it seems even after all that has passed. I could not tell her and now, it may be too late, at least for me.

The world is alive, my friends are alive, and Raven...Raven is truly allowed to live for the first time in her existence. She is free, her mind, body and soul are free, and because of all that, I have only a single regret.

A buzzing in my ear pulls me from my thoughts.

"Apprentice, it is time to leave Jump City. Return to me." I feel the tingle deep inside as he speaks, as I take one last look at a giant T towering over the landscape...a beacon of hope for all the innocent, my beacon of hope within rather than without. One last look...

"I love you Raven," and the darkness encompasses me once more.

Raven P.O.V:

It has finally ended and to this very moment I still can not believe it, can not even fathom what has truly occurred. Maybe it is because I have dreamed of this moment ever since I knew what I was and what followed just behind every footstep I took? Maybe it is because Trigon is finally gone, can never claim to be my father ever again, can never try to bring pain and suffering to the innocents of all realms of existence? Or maybe its because Robin is not by my side, because every waking moment is consumed with thoughts of him, tears falling for him, screams of sadness and need for him.

It must be the last one. The reality I've wanted for so very long does not exist despite the defeat of Trigon because Robin was lost in the process, and my life, even with my freedom, even with Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy still by my side, is almost hallow because the one I hold dearest to my heart is not here.

When I awoke to the faces of me three friends instead of four, I knew it had all not been some twisted final nightmare, and that what I had scene in Robin's mind had been real. Robin had signed a contract in blood, with his very soul, and he did it all to save the universe...and us.

What hurts most is I knew it was the right choice. What is the price of one being in the grand scale of all lives, all reality? It is nothing, simple as that. One being's importance should never outweigh that of all others, something I never did understand.

In the end, I could not watch my friends be hurt, and I willingly allowed Trigon his freedom. I valued their lives above all others, I valued my own life as well. I was selfish in my desire to live because really what is the value of one and only one being when compared to all the beauty and innocence that does and ever will exist? It is nothing...nothing.

Robin understood this and his actions were driven not selfishly by his desire to live, not by his selfish desire for the Titans and me to live. No, they were driven so that all could live. He suffered greatly, sacrificed his freedom to the one being he despises above all others, and in doing so, helped set in motion the events that allowed my temporary ascension into the light so that my father would fall. He did what he needed to do for the universes sake, and yet I so badly want to hate him for it.

I want to hate him for not being there when I woke up. I want to hate him for not having his arms wrapped around me at this very moment in celebration. I want to hate him for leaving my heart all alone when all I should be is happy and content. I want to hate him...but I can't. I love him...love him more than anything or anyone I've ever encountered, and there is not a single second that goes by that I don't miss his warm presence.

Damn him...why did he have to go! It hurts so much right in my heart and sometimes it almost feels like it wants to stop beating, just go completely numb. However, the Titans keep me here, keep me with some peace of mind. I still have them...I am not alone...I will never be alone again, and at least I have that.

Robin has left but he is never gone from my mind, from any of our minds, and I know he will not be lost forever. I will find a way to break the dark spell that binds him to the madman who dwells in reality as well as all our nightmares. Robin will be free just as I am now free and then we all can be together finally in peace, and maybe, then he'll love me as I love him, and all can be right in the world. Dreams of a caged bird now set free, hopes of a heart that won't stop weeping until Robin is returned.

He is loved, he is needed, and he will be saved. This I vow...this I promise.

A/N: Short and simple...epilogueish

On another note, I'm questioning if this story will be continued because I get the feeling it is not really enjoyed much anymore. I guess its more of a feeling than anything, I don't know. This part does work as a type of ending though not a final ending but really, I have to look at it this way...would it be better if I spent my time writing something else? Its an interesting question that I really have to ask myself because I owe it to readers to produce the best, most enjoyed writing I can, and I feel like I'm not doing that. Who knows. Either way, don't expect an update for this story until probably March 1st, which isn't that far away but it could be longer. Just have to wait and see since I'm not usually one to ever end a story without getting to where I want it to be. Peace.


	26. It Will Soon Begin

1A/N: Long delay indeed. First I wasn't sure if I was going to continue, then I couldn't find the motivation to write, and now I'm starting to get the motivation to write again but I could wind up in the hospital any day now. I guess ye old Karma is coming back to haunt me. Anyways, this chapter resembles the last one and more than likely will be the last, short chapter before things get going. Just working to establish the setting a little more so don't expect anything too good from this. Actually, its really just not good in my opinion. Well I'll have to say thanks to everyone who reviewed because I did carefully consider your words before I made my decision to continue and honestly, I couldn't leave it unfinished. I'd feel guilty. So even if you guys are the only ones still reading this from now on, it will reach some type of conclusion one way or another.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying To Do the Right Thing

Chapter 26: It Will Soon Begin

By: Finalitylife

Raven P.O.V:

Two weeks...that is how long we will have to wait for Titan's East to tie up all their loose ends in Steel City. Two weeks is how long until they will arrive to take over our job of protecting Jump City. Two weeks until we can begin our search for Robin...my Robin.

We very well could just leave the tower to itself, the city to fend for itself, and the fact that we know Slade is busy with Robin makes us almost positive the greatest of threats will not come, but we all know what Robin would say if he was here. He would tell us our duty is always to what we swore to protect...this city, the innocents who dwell here, and the laws that keep everyone safe. He would not abandon this city, this much we know, so we will not either. We will make him proud even when he is not here.

I had somehow senses Robin leaving the city, somewhere in between sleep and a dream I had sensed it, though after that I sensed no more. He had either made it too far away or simply, me feeling anything from him was a one time thing. I didn't know, only knew that he had gone farther away that Jump City.

Titan's East will be here in two weeks, easily able to leave Steel City as there is almost no crime there anymore, coming to a far more beautiful and warm city...a friendlier city and I can't help but think that this will almost be a vacation for them. Thoughts like these only make me think back to the day we spent on the beach, the first time that Robin kissed me...the first time anyone has ever kissed me. Though it had been a result of my overactive powers, I still feel a burning warmth within me, a warmth I so badly want to feel again.

I cringe as my thoughts only drift to my final memory of him, clutching so tightly to his battered body that it actually caused me pain. I would have never let go of him no matter what but at that moment, even after wielding the power to destroy the ultimate evil, I was completely powerless against what had been done...to undue the decisions Robin had made to make life possible again.

He is so utterly amazing to do such a thing for me...for all of us...for everyone. I smile the smallest bit. No wonder I can't help but completely love him.

Though I know the Titan's search for Robin will be delayed still two weeks, I have already started my quest to free him from the dark magic than binds him to that monster of a man. In my possession our books that any dark mage would give his very soul for had they probably not already done so for something else. I have books in forgotten languages possibly only I know, books with words of such vast power that merely thinking them in the wrong situation could decimate the entire tower. Many of these books, these spells are unmatched and unrivaled in their power throughout the realms, and it is within these pages I hope to find a solution to Robin's plight...to make us a family again.

I know it will be difficult for I have little doubt the spell Slade used came from the very source of the darkness itself...my Father, and even these powerful books may be outclassed by the knowledge he wielded from his countless millennia of existence. It doesn't help that all I have to go by is the markings on the ruin stone that was used to complete the binding that I saw when I looked through Robin's eyes during our last encounter. I have such little information though I have almost an unending supply of hope thanks to Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Star...her most of all. She won't let any of us fall...won't let any of us think negatively. I think sometimes we underestimate just how strong she really is on the inside , just not from her incredible alien strength.

Star and I, we are friends again, and that fact truly makes me happy. She fought for me, nearly died for me, never once believing I was evil after she knew the truth of everything who I was. Our friendship had been reforged within the fires of sacrifice and battle, and both our undying desires to see peace for the world...peace for our family.

She told me in one of my more melancholy moments, told me that Robin had indeed made a choice between me and her when it finally came down to it. She never said he chose me, never said she lost, never said she felt anger, jealousy, or hatred. All she said to me with a quiet smile on her face was that in the end, she would be satisfied with having Robin as her beloved friend for the rest of her entire life. We shared a private embrace then, doing our best to find a small bit of comfort in our losses...the loss of Robin though neither of us intended him to be a permanent casualty in this fight against evil.

I flip another page in the darkness of my room, the words appearing nothing more as archaic symbols and scribbles of nonsensical lines. They look like they were written by a madman which in fact they had. Reading these books only reminds me of the fine line between genius and madness...a terrifying line that Slade strolls down every moment of his treacherous existence. I know Slade is only human, but I strong part of me refuses to believe that there is any humanity within him, that this monster could ever be of the same people as Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Robin.

It frightens me terrible to know that what Slade truly seeks is to transform Robin into himself, create someone in his image...a megalomaniacs truest dream...to become his own private god in a way. I hate him...I hate him so very much. Robin please...please be strong enough to resist him...please be strong enough to resist yourself.

I wipe away the smallest bit of moisture forming at the corner of my eye as I plead to the universe for Robin's safety. I know in my heart that Robin will fight Slade as best he can. I know in the very core of my being that Robin will resist the lure of his own shadowed soul, though despite his mistakes in the past, he will be able to control that which is simply a part of him. I know this...know this all...but I don't know if he can fight the twisted magic within in. I don't know if it matters how strong he is because in the end, the choice is no longer fully his. The power is in Slade's hands now and that is truly the last place any power belongs...especially the power over Robin.

I feel my shoulders slowly hunching over more as weariness creeps heavily through my body, though I know I will not allow myself to rest. My mission is far too important for I am the only one of the Titans who can complete this goal. I scan another few lines, being very careful with the words as they do speak of how to break black magic binding spells and as I finish the line, I let out a sigh, though not one of relief. This book says the same thing as all the others...death is the only way.

To free Robin he must die, and that simply will never be an option because none of us could ever take his life, even if his life has become worse than death. Killing Slade, even if we were truly capable of that as well, would not help either because taking his life, would end Robin's as well because of the magic. There just didn't seem to be any solution that didn't involve the reality of never having Robin back by our sides. I just didn't want to think about it at all, but I would not run from the truth as I had done for so many years of my life. I would face what would ever come with strength just as Robin would.

A soft knock on the door is accompanied by Starfire's voice, telling me that dinner is ready. I look over at the stacks of books I have not even gotten to you and then back at the door. I smile slightly as I set the book I am holding down and get up, opening the door to find Starfire standing there with a small smile of her own at seeing my presence.

"I am so glad you will be joining us for dinner Raven." My response is not vocal but rather a grumbling sound from my stomach which slightly embarrasses me though I know Starfire doesn't care.

"A most appropriate answer friend. Let us go eat." She floats away with me following and I still have the smallest of smiles on my face because I am doing my best to appreciate what I have at this moment when really, I shouldn't have anything at all. It would be what Robin wanted.

Two weeks...only two weeks, and then we would leave for our first destination, Gotham City.

Robin P.O.V:

My destination is unclear as Slade finds it unnecessary to mention any of his details to me. I simply follow without question for I have no real choice. These are my orders so there is no other way.

I know we are leaving Jump City, and I know we only travel under the cover of darkness. I do not leave the back of the truck, but I know we only travel at night because Slade only operates at night. I've seen his robotic minions make appearances, but I have not seen Slade for hours, our transport stopping somewhere and Slade leaving to attend to some business. All I can do is sit here and wait, alone with my thoughts.

I would find the fact that nobody seems to notice a bunch of robots and a one-eyed masked man traveling unbelievable except for the fact that Batman and I have had to travel before together under the most extreme motivations and really, it is not that hard to make it from place to another without people noticing. Most the time I think people just don't care because if the problem is not directly in their face, then its really not their worry. We are nothing but a shadow traveling through the darkness just outside perception.

All that matters though is I know the Titans will come looking for me though I imagine it will all be a completely futile effort. I, the protégé to the greatest detective ever known could not located Slade when he was right in my backyard in Jump City, how could one expect the others to find him when he could finally end up half way around the world. It simply seemed like an impossibility, but the Titans should never be underestimated, something they had proven to me time and time again.

Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Raven...they would not stop until I was found no matter how long it took, and I only hope that I am still alive when they finally find me...I only hope I am still me when they finally find me.

My greatest nightmare is that I will hurt them again just as I did as Red X, just as I did as the apprentice, though only this time, I will not be restraining myself, will not be holding back. This time they will be holding back, and it will be me who fights with unrelenting will simply because that is what Slade will command and his word is undeniable to me now.

I do wonder if death would be preferable to having to fight my friends again, and a part of me knows the answer to that question is yes. However, I also know that if I fight my friends again, that means they have found me again, and if I see them again, maybe freedom will not be that far behind.

My thoughts are interrupted as the doors to the back of the truck are pulled open by robotic servants, revealing Slade standing there, barely visible in the vague moonlight, though his one eye always finds a way to glisten no matter the lighting.

"We have arrived apprentice." I stand to my feet, my body making a few cracking sounds as I have not moved in hours.

"Which one of your oh so homy and comfortable hideouts have you chosen Slade? Underground lair? Hidden cave out in the wilderness?" I scan the surroundings.

"Ah...the broken down warehouse...a tad bit predictable don't you think Slade?" Slade chuckles amused to himself and an amused Slade is never a good thing.

"Your insolence is a pointless action Robin. All you need to know is that this place will serve quite well for your training. Follow me." I almost hesitate for a second before the burning inside urges me forward. I keep thinking of the word training, a word that I used to loathe when I was growing up with Bruce, but from Slade, that word truly brings fear.


	27. Where the Sun Will Not Shine

A/N: Hello. Well it turns out I have a 90 chance I'll need a kidney removed...so what does this mean to you the reader...for one, updates will probably be much slower if things go where they could be going. On the plus side, nothing is fatal so at least I'm not going to die...awesome. Well thanks to those of you who reviewed, more of the usual for this chapter though I did manage to get past 3000 words this time...just trying to get my desire to write back...it's a tough road ya know...Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 27: Where the Sun Will Not Reach

By: Finalitylife

The cold breeze showed no remorse in its actions as it continued to blow through the night, nipping harshly at Raven's skin. It was moments like this she truly wondered why she didn't wear heavier clothes than her uniform but then again, Azarath had never been cold and Jump City had been a mild city at worst. She was simply in an environment she was simply not used to and a city that was completely foreign to her, foreign to all of them except their missing leader.

It was in the cold, dark city where the sun never seemed to break through the forever overcast skies that Robin had in fact becomes Robin. It had been within this urban jungle littered with archaic, menacing gargoyles hanging over ledges side by side with tall, modern business buildings that Robin had learned to fly as a hero though Raven knew he had truly flown long before he put on the red, yellow, and green uniform of Robin.

She shivered, though this time not from the cold, but from the emotions she was picking up from the surrounding citizens by her empathy. Their emotions were harsh, cold, and hopeless though that truly was the sound of this dreary place. This was not a place to live . . . it was a place to survive and after only being here for a short time Raven easily understood just why Robin had been the way he had been when he first met her, that despite his subtle kindness, there was a darkness hiding beneath the surface . . . the darkness instilled by this city and whatever tragedy she sensed help make him who he was.

Of course despite the time Robin had spent in this city, this was not the city he had been destined to protect for another was the shadow who instilled fear into criminals heart by his mere mention. This was the one who had trained Robin, taught him almost everything he knew. However, this was also the man who drove Robin from this city, whose all encompassing presence caused Robin to leave so that he could prove himself to be his own man. Raven smiled the smallest bit. Eager...that had been one of the most noticeable things about Robin when she had first met him. He had been so eager, like a kid trying to get at his presents on Christmas, and it had almost been cute in way though at the time, things like that were never a thought for Raven. Only now as she looked back on those memories which seemed like so long ago though were not at all, that she really could define what it as she saw in the boy who would become her leader, the young man who would become her love.

Raven had no idea what state the relationship between Robin and Batman was exactly, whether their arguments had been resolved or were still burning strong. All she really knew about Batman was that he was the dark protector of Gotham and had in fact helped raise Robin, and Robin was a good man. Raven knew the Titans would need help in finding Slade and what better place to go than to the man who trained Robin, whose detective skills were far more renown than even Robin's were and Robin's were exceptional.

Raven knew that finding Batman would be impossible because you didn't find Batman, he found you but she also knew that Batman despised having other heroes within his city's limits, and that maybe by making herself blatantly visible, it would draw the Dark Knight out for a confrontation. Hopefully a verbal confrontation because Raven and the rest of the Titans truly did not want anything else. Raven fought to urge to glance at another rooftop where the other Titans were waiting. They figured it would be best for only one of them to initiate this plan and Raven's volunteering could not be persuaded in the slightest so here she was, on the cold rooftop of some building in the middle of Gotham, simply betting that Batman will appear to tell her to leave. The slim chance of this actually working was not beyond Raven, but she knew there wasn't much choice. If Robin had been unable to find Slade all those times in Jump City...what chance did they have.

Again the unrelenting breeze caused her to shiver, and she did her best to pull her cloak tighter around her body. Other than the breeze, there was no sound around her, even her exhales from her chest being more visible in the brisk air than audible. She wasn't even sure how long ago she had made her way here except that it had to have been hours by now, and the prospect of Batman showing his face were becoming less and less. This was all just more wasted time...more time that Robin remained in the clutches of Slade. Raven fought down the pain in her chest as she thought about what Slade could be doing to Robin...what he could be making him do.

Raven suddenly felt the buzzing of her communicator, knowing it was probably Cyborg telling her to come back to them, but Raven refused to answer it, knowing that even though the chance was slim, she would stay here all night if she had to. It was at this moment, that a heavy voice made it self aware, startling Raven. She couldn't help wonder how it was possible for someone to sneak up on her when her senses were prepared for something like this, but then again, this was Batman, and apparently his reputation was well deserved if you could sneak up on someone like her.

"What happened to Robin?" The words startled her as much as the emergence of the voice. She turned around to find the imposing form of Batman barely visible in the shadows of the exit on top of the roof. Raven stared at him for a second, still slightly in shock, but also trying to get some type of read from him, though finding absolutely nothing slipping off of the dark hero. His mind was completely closed off...a truly impressive feat.

"Well?" His voice held the tiniest, minuscule amount of annoyance in it as he awaited her response and Raven felt the slightest bit of being uncomfortable in his presence.

"How did you know something happened to Robin?" Batman did not respond immediately, rather his eyes only hanging on Raven fiercely, and she couldn't help but fidget nervously.

"I only spotted you and your friends on the other rooftop so I know he is not with you. Also, Robin would never allow the Titans to venture into my city unless absolutely necessary, and then he would have let me know he was coming. This makes it obvious that something happened to him. Now tell me, what happened to Robin." This time it was not a question but a blunt demand for answers and the way Batman's eyes bore into her from the shadows truly made her feel like that this man was more demon than she ever could be.

"It's a long story but he's been captured...by a man called Slade, and he was taken somewhere away from Jump City. We don't know where he went." The glare that Batman gave Raven made it abundantly clear he was not happy, and again she couldn't help but fidget underneath his piercing gaze.

"How did this happen and I want the complete story, every detail you know...Now." Raven took a deep breath before explain the story, telling Batman about who she truly as, the return of Trigon to the mortal realm, the end of existence, and the final battle that put a final close to destiny, though in the process, losing Robin to Slade. She did her best to compose herself as she talked despite all the emotions that were bubbling to the service as she went through all the traumatic moments and did not mention any of her private moments with her friends and Robin. Batman did not need to know any of those.

Raven wasn't sure how long she was talking, but when she finished she was sure that if the sun could be seen rising in this gray skied city, it would soon be peaking over the horizon. The whole time, Batman had not moved a muscle, only absorbing all the information she set out, never once showing anything as to what he was feeling as he heard of the fate of his prodigal 'son'. Raven finally finished and awaited his response.

"Meet me on this exact rooftop in two days. I will speak with you then." Raven was about to respond when Cyborg's voice was heard, turning her head to see him being carried over by Starfire to his rooftop with a green bird flying next to them, the other Titans probably having finally decided they wanted to know what was going on after all the time. Raven turned her head back to Batman a few seconds later only to find him gone without a trace, and she couldn't help but think that maybe, this man could help them.

Cyborg was set down next to her, immediately asking questions and all Raven could really do was tell him they had more waiting to do...two more days of nothing before they hopefully could move on. Tonight, this night would give no more answers to them. It was time to get some sleep.

Robin P.O.V:

Nothing but a broken down, decrypted warehouse on top in some city I didn't have the opportunity to recognize. This has become my new home. Lying underneath the surface is a vast network of winding corridors and rooms, and now I'm not sure where every path leads though I am quickly learning everything I can about this place...any bit of knowledge I can gain will help me...hopefully will help me.

I glance around the bare walls of the cold and sterile room again, reminding myself this is actually where I sleep...the few moments I do sleep. A bed and a desk, nothing else as Slade tells me anything else would simply be a distraction to my training. Of course Slade's training involves beating me bloody, telling me how I am a complete disappointment to him, and that I will learn. Learn what exactly he never says though I need to hear no words from Slade to know what he is talking about. He wants me to learn to be him.

Time has no purpose or place where I now dwell. There are no sunrise or sunsets, no clocks or calenders to tell me what time or day it is. Every moment simply transitions into the next, and then the next, and then the next, until it simply becomes routine...becomes my life. I grip my hands into fists in pointless rage because I know there is nothing I can truly do at this moment. I held the smallest glimmer of hope that the magic might not be as all consuming as Slade claimed it to be, that it would waiver with the passage of time against the strength of will and my utmost desire to refuse his commands. It does not...it never relents...it never rests even when I do. The magic shifts around my subconscious, breaks into dreams that I can never remember when waking. All I remember is Slade's commands and that I must follow. It is becoming tiresome quickly, never escaping his presence...his eye always finding a way to bore into my mind.

The door to my simple room slides open, a robotic warrior standing in the doorway, its emotionless face focused completely on me. Slade is summoning me again to train, this much I know. I stand tiredly up from the hard bed, my one knee cracking as I get up, eliciting the smallest of grimaces from my face. Slade barely allowed me time to heal from the battle against Trigon, only taking a moment to ensure nothing was broken, nothing torn. My body aches all the time though I slowly find myself getting used to it. I don't want to be used to pain...I truly don't want that...

I follow wordlessly through the dimly lit corridor, knowing exactly where we are going with each step. There is almost no light anywhere in this place, only the minimal lighting to get from one place to the next, and I suspect that if I saw a bright light I would probably fall over blinded. Of course, I may never have that opportunity again...something so simply as light.

I finally arrive at the destination, passing by the robot, though not before slashing out with a blade, severing its head from its body. The robot's body collapses to the ground while the head rolls sparking down the hallway, the noise echoing down the metal hallway. I constantly destroy these robot minions in moments of frustration though Slade does not seem to care at all. There are always more robots to replace them, and he already has possession of the one minion he wants...me. He only mocks my childish antics, telling me that I need so much more control which in fact only infuriates me more. It is a vicious cycle...well it is a cycle until Slade decides to break the cycle by slamming me into the ground. Always the same...

I walk into the much larger and open room which has served as my training ground, the incessant clicking and grinding of gears seemingly everywhere...something I've come over the years to associate closely with Slade. I hate those gears...hate them so very much...and from the amount of times I've almost been crushed by them, they apparently don't like me very much either. The gears always remind me of my own weakness...my greatest failures. My apprenticeship, my delusions, and that night that Slade returned. It truly feels like so long ago that Slade broke up Raven's failed birthday party, jump starting a series of events that nearly consumed everything.

Was it a long time ago? Was it last week? I don't know.

I scan the darkness around me, waiting for Slade to appear, and it is not long before he seems to appear out of the darkness itself, silently coming into existence.

"Welcome apprentice. I do hope I did not disturb you." I grit my teeth knowing he probably chose a moment when he knew I was thinking about sleeping to call me forth. I still wonder if Slade actually sleeps, something I pondered way back when I first started hunting him. I have never seen a place for him to rest, and it always feels like he is alert and prepared, never tired like I am. How can I hope to beat something like that?

"Of course you disturbed me Slade, but I'm sure you already know that."

"Indeed Robin. Its time for more training. You were far too sluggish in our last encounter which tells me you need to be trained harder. I believe I have been going to soft on you because of your injuries from before we started.

"I find that hard to believe Slade."

"It does not matter what you believe Robin. I have no reason to lie to you, no reason to not be completely straight forward. I have already won Robin, something you seem to yet to grasp. There will be no escape or salvation for you. You will become who you are supposed to be...you will become my apprentice."

"I will never become your lackey Slade. How many times do I need to tell you that. No amount of pain or magic in this universe can make me become that." Slade laughs darkly, and I see a strange gleaming in his eye...amusement...he is amused.

"Robin...do you think what I desire from you is to become my lackey? To become just another will-less servant like my robots or what Terra almost was? I would not waste my time on such a thing. What I truly seek from you Robin is to have someone follow in my footsteps. I told you when you first adorned my symbol that all my knowledge and all my power is for you...all for you, and all it will take is you to have the will to take it." Slade takes a few deliberate, heavy steps forward.

"You Robin...there is so much potential in you. I seek an apprentice, but I also seek the future Robin. I will not carry on forever despite even my best efforts, and someone must take my place. You will take my place...there is no other way." I can feel his eye boring into me again, and I so want to break contact from staring at it but I won't give him the satisfaction. I talk back at him, trying to be as defiant as possible.

"I'd suggest that you just go have children to follow in your footsteps, but I wouldn't wish that on anyone...the world doesn't even need one of you." If his eye looked amused before, it now looking like he was smiling.

"Oh I have had offspring my dear boy but all of them were complete and total failures. None of them have been what you are...none of them could ever compete with you. When I look upon you, I see someone who truly can equal me...somehow who can one day surpass me. I would not waste my time on someone who could never truly rival me, but you can Robin and I intend to make sure you take your place. Now...defend yourself."

The armored fist comes at me relentlessly, and I barely avoid it as my mind continues to dwell on Slade's words. Did he just reveal my purpose? Did he just reveal something about his past? I duck a kick, knowing grimly that if Slade is indeed divulging details about himself, being so loose with his tongue, then he must know without any doubt...I have truly lost.

Another day where my blood will be spilled mercilessly on the cold, hard floor. This is my life.


	28. Drip Down

A/N: Finally got this update. Been busy. Kidney removal surgery on the 16th...hopefully things go well. Thanks to everyone who wished me well because, lets be realistic, I'm nothing but a stranger so really why should anyone care about my health, but it seems people do and that makes me smile so again, thank you very much. If things go as planned, should have another update his week since I have a few days of nothingness coming up...been awhile since I've had that. Well thats it...enjoy if ya can.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 28: Drip Down

By: Finalitylife

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Sleep. I can not sleep...I will not sleep.

Drip.

The others slumber though all of them are fitful...none of them truly with relaxed looks on their faces. There is no comfort.

Drip

I want to blame the inability to sleep on the lumpy bed or the Tamaranian princess who still finds a way to sprawl out completely in the bed in which I am also to sleep. I want to blame the fact that I am not in my room...my bed...my haven for sleep.

Drip-drip.

And I really want to blame that faulty faucet that continues to drip incessantly, never ceasing in its annoyance. Cyborg claimed he had fixed it, but clearly he had not. I raise my hand, black energy forming around the faucet, and a close my hand into a fist, crushing the sink fixture flat so that water will not drip anymore. If only all problems were so easy to solve.

Soon enough we will go back to meet Batman who hopefully will have information to help us. I truly want to be free of this city as quickly as possible as the constant battering against my mind from all the emotions of this place is quickly becoming tiresome. Those mixed with the ones from the other Titans as well as my own are simply too much to completely close off in my current state of mind.

Out of nowhere, I hear it again.

Drip

Drip-drip

A hopeful pause.

Drip. I grit my teeth slightly as I realize this new sound is coming from the bathroom faucet. Have I not suffered enough already in my short life? Clearly...I have not.

This poor excuse for a motel room has been our home while we waited...a slumy, dirty place but it is a place no one would think we would be staying... a place where we could be as inconspicious as possible. Cyborg and Starfire were the two to book the room...Cyborg with his holographic technology and Starfire...well was Starfire... The owner of this fine establishment gave Cyborg a knowing look as he leered at Starfire, probably thinking he was nothing but a pimp with one of his working girls...or a possible client. This was after all that type of motel. I wanted to hurt that man as he thought such disgusting, horrible thoughts about my friends but me and Beast Boy stayed in the shadows, never being seen, teleporting into the room when the coast was finally clear. It is best we stay out of sight as we can...

It is only the afternoon yet all anyone wants to do is sleep because we know we might not have the opportunity after meeting Batman tonight. Also, it is clear no one wants to be awake in this city...it being much easier to simply hide in the ignorant bliss of unconsciousness away from the permanently grey sky of Gotham

I do not sleep...will not sleep, instead use my time to mediate and contemplate...and hope. I feel guilty if I sleep when I know Robin is out there, probably suffering, probably hurting. I do not deserve to be comfortable when he can not be. I fear my nightmares too...no longer of Hellfire and devastation but no less frightening and disturbing. They tell me Robin's loss is not my fault...I want to believe them but I have to be guilty of something...I have to be...

I am shocked when the heavy bulk of Cyborg sits in a chair next to the bed I am sitting on, the creaky piece of furniture struggling to hold his weight. I had not even noticed him awaking let alone walking across the room

"You might want to think about sleeping dark girl. You know what's ahead of us tonight." I look at my hands peaking out from my cloak rather than him. I do not know why.

"I don't want to sleep."

"Doesn't mean you don't need to sleep."

"I'll sleep when we get Robin back." I see him out of the corner of my eye raise his hand to try and comfort or confront me in some way, but he slowly lowers it back down.

"That could be a long time Raven."

"I know." My response carries off my lips on my exhale, and Cyborg seems to have no response.

Drip

Drip.

"Could you at least...lie down for a bit Raven? Just for a little while...just to relax." I raise my gaze to look at Cyborg, the gentleness on his face he reserves only for his little sisters...me and Star. It is truly a warm, brotherly expression, and it in itself makes me feel warm in my soul.

"Okay...I'll lie down for a little bit." He smiles with the smallest bit of satisfaction.

"Thanks Dark Girl." I gently shift over, pulling my legs on to the bed, keeping my cloak tightly wrapped around me, my head laying on the pillow. My eyes continue to be open, Cyborg still looking at me, as if he almost didn't believe I would do as he asked.

"Don't worry Raven...in a few hours, we'll have some info and before you know it, Robin will be back home with us. And then...I can promise you one hell of a party." I smile at his confidence and his bit of enthusiasm." I close my eyes for a second when...

Drip-drip

My eyes shoot open locking on Cyborg.

"Cy...fix that damn faucet in the bathroom." My statement is not a request, and Cyborg clearly knows that. I hear his feet moving across the room and some noise, but quickly it is all forgotten as sleep manages to take me for a few hours.

A few hours later...

I can feel myself slowly coming back from the first bit of sleep I've probably had in awhile and instantly notice something very unusual...two slender arms wrapped around me holding me tightly to a modest sized bosom like I am some type of stuffed animal to be cuddled...or a slug like creature who had the sheer luck to capture the heart of a bubbly alien girl. My eyes open, still not having moved yet and I spot Beast Boy and Cyborg standing not that far in front of me with smiles on their faces.

"Awww...how cute. You two make a sweet couple, don't you think Vic?"

"Definitely..." I grumble as I look at the two boys who are slowly approaching my bad side for the day.

"I highly suggest you refrain from continuing this conversation completely for the rest of your life or I will be forced to hurt you."

"Come on Rae-Rae...you wouldn't hurt me." Beast Boy's sing song voice causes my head to throb ever so slightly.

"I would and I will...and do NOT call me Rae-Rae." He gulps from my death glare and steps back, Cyborg chuckling.

"Hey Star...its time to get up. Get moving." The alien girl starts shifting, her eyes not immediately opening.

"Of course friend Cyborg. Beloved Silkie...it looks like it is time to greet another day." I grit my teeth, seething heavily on the inside.

"I am NOT the worm Starfire." The arms around me are instantly gone as Starfire pulls away, sitting up, laughing very sheepishly and turning bright red in embarrassment.

"Oh Raven...I am so very sorry. I can clearly say I'm mistaken in your identity. You are most definitely not Silkie." I sit up, adjusting my cloak.

"Clearly." I look back at the two jokers, and see they are both fighting as hard as they can not to explode from laughing...knowing I will be most unpleased. I look back at Starfire who is still nervously giggling to her underneath my intense gaze. It is then that I do the most unexpected thing possible...I smile. I simply can not help it for this is the first time in so very long, everything feels as it should be...the veil of sadness and pain slipping away for a little while.

"Umm...are you okay Raven?"

"For the moment, I'm fine Cy...I'm fine..."

Another few hours later, my mask of indifference is back over my face, the cold wind once again howling across the rooftops only this time a small bit of cold moisture comes with it, already working to soak my cloak. This time, the others are with me. We all will wait for Batman to show up together, and hopefully, we will be leaving here together with our destination in hand.

We all wait patiently as we can for Batman to appear, and I know without a shadow of a doubt he will show up. I glance over at the others who are straight faced, waiting just as I am, and that is when Batman makes his presence known by clearing his throat. All our attention is immediately snapped over to the sudden arrival, an air of threatening around us though we probably have nothing to fear.

Batman glares out at us from the shadows and I do not need my empathic abilities to sense the nervousness radiating off of the other Titans...most especially Beast Boy. I'm pretty sure there's a bit of awe and hero worshiping in there as well because this in fact is THE Batman standing in front of us. A silence soon hung over us because I don't think any of us knew what to do at this moment, waiting for Batman to do something, but he only stood there studying us like we were an important piece of evidence. Everyone was fidgeting in some form or another except me...me doing my best to remain as calm and immaculate as possible despite the fact my mind was racing wondering what Batman had found and just how soon it would be before Robin was with us again.

"Titans..." Our name without the Teen came from Batman, another reminder that we had moved far beyond the concept of Teen even though we had not aged completely into adults. After experiencing what we had...no one could discount the maturity that dwelled within each of us.

"I have some information that could help you find Robin. It was not easy to come by...Slade or Deathstroke the Terminator as he is also known as is not an easy man to find." We all just nodded.

"Through some of my sources, I've managed to locate someone who may have an idea where Slade is...someone who apparently may have a connection to him. If the information is correct, she should be located in a nearby city about 30 miles away. What she is doing there, I don't know, and she may not even be there anymore but it is all I could find. It is where you four should start. She's..."

"Us four! What do you mean us four! Are you saying your not going to come with us? Just give us an address and send us on our way? I thought Robin's safety would mean more to you?" Cyborg's outburst was responded to by a very dangerous glare from the Dark Knight of Gotham. It was obvious he was not happy about being interrupted. It was obvious he was not happy about being yelled at. It was obvious he was not happy about his concern for Robin being questioned. I could barely feel that but those emotions made me the smallest bit happy because it validated that Batman did indeed care for Robin...I still had wondered if emotions did dwell within this dark protector. The glare was indeed intense and I could feel Cyborg becoming very, very nervous.

"Do not seek to question me or my motives. I can not just leave this city unprotected. There are dangers beginning to stir within Gotham and if I am not here to protect it, thousands could die and simply put, the innocent lives of thousands comes before the life of one...no matter who he is." Again everyone nodded. Batman understood just as Robin would understand...duty to those that can't protect themselves always came first...at the end of the day, lost heroes could not be put above them. The Titans understood that when we waited for Titan's East to show up before heading to Gotham and Batman only reaffirmed it...the mission of protection always was at the top.

"Sorry..." Cyborg's quiet apology seemed to be completely ignored by Batman.

"Who is this person we are searching for?" I took over, acting as the leader I never hoped I would have to be...I'm not a leader...I'm just not.

"Her name is Rose. She is Slade's daughter." At that moment, I don't think any of the Titans were breathing, no one expecting to hear that. Slade...the worst human being we ever could imagine...had a daughter. So many things about that revelation just seemed so terribly wrong. Slade was a monster...he wasn't supposed to do things human beings do though I also couldn't help but wonder if his daughter was created the same way I was...conceived in an act of unthinkable violence and pain. I forced the terrible thoughts to the back of my mind, doing my best to focus on the moment in front of me.

"If you find her, she may be able to lead you to Slade...and Robin. This is your best option at the moment." Batman walked forward handing a piece of paper to me with the needed information on it. I accepted it carefully, scanning some of words on it quickly though not reading intently as I needed to. I handed it to Cyborg who would be able to submit it to his permanent computerized memory.

"If I ever find any more information, I will contact you with it immediately. Good luck Titans." Again we all nodded knowing this meeting was over with our path set before us...to find the offspring of Slade hoping she could lead us to her malevolent Father and our lost leader.

The other Titans started leaving, though I found myself lingering for a few more moments as Batman seemed to disappear back into the shadows.

"Thank you." It was quiet and I doubt he wanted to hear it but I felt compelled to say it anyway. I know it was probably hurting him somewhere deep inside knowing he could not lead the charge to find his former sidekick but that was the life of a hero.

I slowly turned around to leave, floating away, and that's when I heard it, Batman's voice carrying on the wind from nowhere .

"Robin cares for you most doesn't he..." I turned around quickly, looking for the source of the voice but found absolutely nothing but darkness though that was to be expected. I couldn't help but wonder what Batman knew, what Robin had told him, and my only response was...I hope so...


	29. Gone

A/N: Well I'm now one kidney short...though at this point not in much pain. That's a good thing and the fact that I don't have to do anything all week could mean lots of updating...then again, it could mean nothing. Oh well...thanks to those of reviewed and hope this shorter update is good enough for you. And on a strictly observational note...has anyone else noticed a severe decline in the writing quality of the Teen Titans genre? I mean my god, other than a few stories, I didn't think this much garbage could be produced.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 29: Gone

By: Finalitylife

"Raven do you sense anything?" The communicator crackled to life, relaying Cyborg's message. Raven scanned the building they stood in front of with the best of her abilities without extending herself too far for the sheer fact she didn't know if there was any danger within the building that could counteract her mental abilities or harm her when she was in that semi-vulnerable state.

The building itself seemed slightly run down but not completely dilapidated...just something that might need a little fixing up and a new paint job. There were no visible lights anywhere, even in the vicinity of the building giving everything a slight foreboding sense but things like that had little effect on Raven. She just continued to try and do her job without delay for delays just meant more lost time and more lost time meant more lost Robin.

"This is Raven...honestly, I don't sense anything within the building at all but I could be wrong. Of course as Batman showed, there do seem to be some people who can avoid my abilities rather easily and this is Slade's daughter we're talking about so everything is to be expected." There was a brief silence from the communicator before Cyborg finally responded.

"You're right Raven...anything is a possibility. We'll wait to see if Beast Boy finds something." Raven nodded despite the fact that Cyborg wouldn't even be able to see her, just more on reflex. Raven gazed down at Beast Boy who was currently in the form of a dog, sniffing carefully around the building, hoping to pick up the scent of someone or at the very least, detect the scent of any explosives that might be positioned around the building as welcome mats. Starfire remained ever vigilant high up in the air, looking down at everything, watching for anyone trying to escape or any sudden movements nearby that could signal a coming attack. The Titans had to be perfectly prepared for any possibility because this was their opportunity to maybe find Robin and they could not blow it. If they messed this up, who knows what it could all lead to. All of them would rather not think about it.

Beast Boy finally seemed satisfied with his work and shifted into a rat to scutter away from the building back to his position. He morphed back into normal form so he could use the communicator.

"I didn't detect any strange explosives...well at least anything we've ever encountered before but I did pick up the scent of a single person...definitely a girl because she smelled really good." Raven shook her head at the message, wishing Beast Boy would be far more serious but really, she didn't think that was a possibility and in the end...she was okay with that.

"Alright...here's the plan ya'll. Beast Boy...Raven, you two go around back, sneak in that way. Starfire, you land on the roof and come in from that direction. I'm going to take the lead and head in first right in the front door. It should provide a nice distraction for whomever is in there giving each of you the opportunity to blind side them. This needs to be quick and efficient. Everyone got it?" No one needed to respond for Cyborg to know the answer.

Raven morphed into her soul self and crept through the shadows appearing next to Beast Boy. Thankfully, he did not freak out at her sudden appearance, and she could only smile slightly at his steadiness for the moment. Moments later, the Titans began their stealthy convergence on the building, almost no sounds being made...Robin would have been proud.

A few minutes later, Cyborg came through the front door, loud enough to gain the attention of anyone there though not overly loud as to disrupt the senses of his fellow Titans. The other Titans readied themselves for some type of attack or explosion or...well any type of movement but instead nothing happened. There was nothing...nothing.

Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire crept toward Cyborg's position which appeared to be in the main room for this floor of this building...a large, flat open space that didn't seem to have any furniture in it revealed by Cyborg's shoulder mounted light. Everything was peaceful and quiet and that really shouldn't have been a possibility if someone was in fact here. Despite all of their silent pleas, it was becoming clearly evident that the one they sought was in fact already done from this place. Someone must have tipped them off on the Titans coming to pay a visit...someone who must have been aware of their intentions. It must have been Slade...only he could have done something so quickly and effectively...then again maybe not. The Titans had no way of truly knowing.

Suddenly, the lights of the room flashed on with a noise, startling Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven and a starbolt flying toward the source of the sound accompanied an eep from Starfire. It singed into the wall right next to a frightened Beast Boy who had simply found the switch for the lights to the room though had neglected to mention that fact to anyone before turning them on.

"Umm sorry guys...please don't kill me." Cyborg and Raven just shook their heads at the green changeling while Starfire muttered a soft apology. Now that the room was fully illuminated, it be came clear that this room in fact looked like a training room...something that would be used by Robin. There was some training equipment, some punching bags, and a few other miscellaneous items that none of them could identify but all and all, it was simply a gym.

"Raven...you picking up anything?" Raven softly closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the underlying surrounds that only she could sense but it was quite clear that the only consciousnesses within this building were that of the four Titans.

"Sorry Cyborg but no one is here." Cyborg nodded, taking a few moments to think.

"Alright everyone...Let's search this place top to bottom for a clue...this person couldn't have left very long ago from the looks of this place so hopefully they were sloppy and left something." The search began without many words uncovering what appeared to be a bedroom, a bathroom, and several other rooms that would be found in anyone's home. Rose...Slade's daughter had in fact been living here. There was still food in the refrigerator that was far from being stale.

Starfire's voice loudly calling for everyone to come quickly soon echoed through out the place gathering everyone rapidly to the location just next to the main room. She was standing in front of a small table with a sheet of white non descript white paper in her hand...something the Titan's had all walked by several times with little notice. Starfire handed the note to Raven rather than Cyborg for some reason though no one really noticed. Raven's amethyst eyes carefully scanned the few words on the paper.

_To who it may Concern: If you are truly meant to find me, you will find me...until then, I will be nothing but a ghost. _

The letter was signed with a rose as an insignia providing the identity of whom had written it...Slade's daughter. Raven so badly wanted to just rip up the piece of paper in sheer frustration but restrained herself for there might be some further clue to the paper that couldn't be see yet. Her slightly trembling hand passed off the message to Cyborg before she did something stupid, wrapping her own arms around herself in a futile attempt to comfort herself.

Everyone stood in silence, unsure of what to do at this moment, their first attempt at finding a lead to Slade coming up completely empty...the person they sought gone before they had arrived leaving nothing but a scant few possessions and a note...not quite taunting but not quite anything. It was very neutral sounding as if Rose didn't care of they did find her but only if they could.

It seemed like the path was being set out before them...find Rose, and in doing so, hopefully finding Slade...and Robin.

* * *

"Pain exists, that can not be denied. It is biological, born into the very structure of the human form yet in the end, it only serves as a hindrance to achieving greater power. One must learn to accept the pain...to deal with the pain, and in doing so move beyond the pain so that it no longer is bothersome, no longer can act as a control on our actions. Do you understand Robin?" 

Robin glared at the sadistic madman from his current position, not wanting to risk moving. He cursed Slade loudly in his own head even as the unseen pain threatened to flair up on him. Robin currently found himself in the middle of Slade's latest twisted form of training and just as always, it served to bring mental as well as physical pain to his weary form.

Robin stood with his arms outstretched, holding up an unknown amount of weight with each arm, his arms constantly straining to keep from dropping for if they did, a blade would slowly stab into a nonfatal part of his back. The result was usually extreme pain which caused Robin to further drop his arms which resulted in even more pain. Robin struggled to control his breathing to a perfect a rhythm, doing his best to center himself away from the increasing pain building in his shoulder and elbow joints, doing his best to pull his mind away from the knife just waiting to stab him in the back as well as Slade's smooth, calm voice.

"You see Robin, it is impossible for you to forever hold up those weights. I know this, you know this...gravity will inevitably win out yet you continue to fight on against this inevitability because you fear the blade and the pain it will bring. You prefer to ceaselessly fight on against your own physical limitations when you could simply drop those weights at this very moment and be done with all of this. It is that simple. However, you fear pain when you should not. You must embrace the pain so that you can master it. Mastery of pain is of the most important things you can learn my apprentice for it will serve to sever you from the flailing, pathetic masses that is humanity. It will make you greater than you are...far greater than merely Robin."

Slade stands only a few feet in front of Robin, lording tall above his apprentice who continues to struggle with the weights. Slade pushes a button on a remote in his hand which adds more weight and instantly Robin's arms drop, causing the young man to grunt in pain before he can force his arms back into a holding position, a slow trickle of blood beginning its path down his body, pooling at his feet.

"You continue to resist me, refusing to accept the truths I reveal to you. You continue to resist your human limitations, yet you refuse to take the next step beyond these lowly limits you place on yourself. It doesn't make sense does it Robin? Your logic should instantly tell you that you are wrong. It is that simple."

Another jerk by Robin's arms causes another grunt of pain, Slade shaking his head slowly in disappointment at his apprentice.

"You chose to prolong the pain without any purpose rather than simply get it over with for a purpose. Stupid, foolish boy. You will learn. Accept the pain...control the pain...evolve beyond it...become greater!"

It is at this moment, that Robin's arms finally give out, the weights slamming into the ground, the blade stabbing deeply into his body.

-

Raven shoots up from the bed she is on, screaming with complete terror into the night. Her whole body is shaking and covered in a cold, dead sweat, and she finds herself unable to regain any of her senses...only able to register the pain and her own, shrieking screams. Suddenly, there are two firm hands on her shoulder shaking her forcefully and a voice trying to calm her down.

"Raven! Raven! Snap out of it dark girl! Come on!" Eventually, Raven felt the pain dissipate and though she still felt like screaming from the visions in her head, her voice didn't feel like it had the strength to carry on. She continued to breathe erratically and harshly, her lungs straining to calm down, Cyborg's hands finally removed from her shoulders. Her senses were hazy but more focused and she could see the concerned faces of all her friend's looking at her.

The Titans were still in the former residence of Rose, having decided to stay there the night to continue searching as well as for the small chance someone would show up here to see Rose that could provide useful information. Raven remembered suddenly feeling faint, and Cyborg had insisted that she lie down, that she had still been pushing herself too hard as of late. She had lied down on the bed they had found, and she must have fallen asleep, and that is when she saw it...when she felt it.

Robin...Robin was in so much pain...so much suffering. The pain was calling out to her, drawing her in and she couldn't resist because it was coming from Robin. It had all been so real...it had been real, and Raven knew without a shadow of a doubt that in his moment of incredibly suffering Robin had reached out to her somehow though she could do nothing about it. She had woken up, whatever connection that had been formed broken, and again Robin was completely lost to her...to them. So much pain...so much pain.

Raven's body continued to shake and soon the comforting arms of Starfire were holding her tightly, doing their best to help calm her frazzled nerves. Raven found herself leaning tightly in to the comfort, its warm inviting even if it was not from the person she truly wished it to be from. At least it was something...something other than the pain.

"Hey Raven...do you want to talk about what just happened there?" Raven somehow had shifted until her head was in Starfire's lap like it was a pillow, Starfire gently stroking the head of Raven trying to sooth the still visibly rattled woman.

"I don't know what happened Cyborg. I just...it was a dream but not really...it was Robin...I saw Robin." The other three Titans felt a moment of shock sweep over them.

"Robin? How...What...Where..." The unanswerable questions flowed out quickly from each of them and all Raven did was slowly shake her head.

"I really don't know...there was just so much pain...so much terrible pain and what scared me the most was that in the end, Robin didn't fear that pain anymore." Raven's body started quivering again and the Titans knew better than to press further at the moment. Starfire continued to do her best to help Raven relax who just continued to stare off into nothingness...trying to forget the pain.


	30. Taken

A/N: Wow chapter 30...how far we've come...another month and it will be a year since I've started this story...that's just crazy...let's hope one day it actually ends...and the second part of this story will definitely not be as long as the first...so maybe its actually getting close. I don't know. Well enjoy...this chapter is a bit twisted. Thanks to those few reviews I got...always pleasant to read.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 30: Taken

By: Finalitylife

3 months later...

Run...Run...that was all the man could think about. Get as far away from that...that thing as humanly possible. It seemed to come right out of the night itself...living shadow, and those eyes...especially those eyes...burning crimson of hell. He needed to get out of here. He ducked into a nearby alleyway hoping that whatever was chasing after him would not be able to find him though he sincerely doubted it...he could feel those eyes still upon him, ready to set his very soul ablaze.

The only sound was his panicked breathe and the occasionally drop of rain coming from a heavily overcast sky. He struggled to quiet his breathing as a result of exhaustion from funning so far so fast as well as near hyperventilation from fear.

That's when he heard it.

"Did you really think you could run from me? Foolish human." Demonic yet feminine at the same time... terrifying all the same.

"Please don't hurt me...please just leave me alone...I didn't do anything wrong." Dark laughter.

"Oh you've done plenty wrong...all those petty crimes you commit, all the people you hurt...you've only brought this on yourself."

"Oh God...Oh God..."

"God will not help you now..." The darkness seemed to be swirling around him, inching ever closer, two burning eyes the only visible thing around him, focused completely on him. It almost sounded like hisses and growls were coming from the very air all around him.

"Please...please don't kill me...I'll do anything..."

"Indeed...now tell me...what do you know about the name Rose...and I will know if you are lying...you will pay severely if you are lying..."

"Oh god...Rose... I don't know any Rose..." The walls of the alleyway started shaking and cracking, as a growl worsened.

"Liar...liars must suffer..."

"I don't know any Rose I swear but I've heard of a Rose...she just came to the city but nobody messes with her...somewhere on the East side of town...please that's all I know...please don't kill me." The ground and walls started shaking harder, the sound becoming almost deafening to the frightened man, him losing control of his bodily functions.

"Now that wasn't so hard...its too bad this was the easy part...your death shall take days...never ending blood and pain..." The eyes suddenly sped forward at the man and he simply couldn't take anymore, finally succumbing to unconsciousness, the sheer terror overwhelming him entirely. His body fell quietly to the ground...the dark of the night becoming completely still again except for the small form of Raven floating just above the ground with a blank expression on her face as her eyes slowly faded from red back to their normal color. Not that long later, the three other Titans approached the alleyway, finally catching up to Raven and the one she pursued. Cyborg lead the three.

"Raven?"

"I'm right here Cyborg." The three finally saw her floating motionlessly in the air, not even the wind seemingly affecting her.

"Did you catch him?"

"Yes...he's unconscious right over there." Cyborg walked toward the prone form of the man they had been chasing.

"Any one else smell piss?"

"I believe he wet himself from fright." Cyborg grimly shook his head.

"Not another one Raven. You have got to stop this. You're going to end up really hurting someone one of these times with that shit. Do you have any idea how truly terrifying you can be with your powers when you want to?"

"I do." Cyborg growled slightly.

"Then you understand my point." Raven barely paid any attention, almost dismissing Cyborg with silence which annoyed him further.

"Did you hear me Raven?" Raven turned her head almost in a bored manner.

"Can you tell me an easier way to extract information from these thugs this quickly? Rose is in the city...east side of the city. We should concentrate our efforts there." Cyborg nodded at the new information, not pushing any further on the previous topic of conversation with Raven...she looked like she was in one of her moods...moods that were becoming more frequent as of late.

Cyborg checked the vitals of the unconscious man just to make sure he was okay before walking out of the alleyway back toward the other Titans who had gathered there. Three months...three months they had searched for Rose since the first attempt at finding her and never once had they actually encountered her...never once seen this elusive person. She truly was a ghost though they think they had discovered why.

There were plenty of rumors everywhere about Slade or his daughter and sometimes the ones about Slade were completely ridiculous though it was assumed all the misinformation was created by the madman himself to hide the real truths. His daughter herself had quite a name out there as well though nothing truly malevolent seemed to be attached to it. People feared her but the true reasons always seemed to be elusive though one thing seemed to be clear: Rose was not completely human it would seem or at the very least had meta human abilities.

It seemed that she was notorious for always knowing when things would happen, knowing about attacks before they would happen, knowing about threats before they even presented itself...some type of physic ability that made her truly formidable...and impossible to catch. That was why she always seemed to be a step ahead of them all...because she always knew when they would come and simply disappear before the Titans arrived. It was beyond frustrating to the Titans though they never once relented in their pursuit of the ghost that was Rose. They had to find her...they had no choice.

Three months had passed and everyday all they could think about was Robin and what could be happening to him in all this time. This was far longer than he had been gone last time Slade had made him his apprentice and even then, Slade had made Robin rather public in his purpose. This time, there were no clues and no attacks...there was nothing, absolutely nothing.

Despite the time taking its toll on everyone, it by far was affecting Raven the most. She was becoming more withdrawn despite spending so much time with her friends, becoming quicker to anger and upset, and rarely did she say anything that did not warrant necessity. It truly reminded them all of the Raven of old and no one wanted to see her build that wall back up again around herself though no one was sure how to stop her. Robin would have known exactly what to do but Robin was gone...nowhere to be found. Sometimes Cyborg believed it was all just a result of Raven's new total freedom of emotions...freedom from her father for the first time, and that as things became more emotionally severe, she just couldn't handle it. One almost forgot that it was not that long ago the world had in fact ended, that Trigon had fallen...it really felt like years ago...so very long ago.

Raven's patient had long run out with this pursuit yet it showed no signs of ever relenting. How do you catch someone who always knows your coming? You can't, its that simple. The Titans had almost pondered taking a break, heading back to Jump City for a little while to rest, especially with the condition Raven was deteriorating into, but then they knew stopping would probably only make things worse and would only increase the time that Slade had Robin which was already far too long already.

The Titans silently, in a single file line like some weary funeral procession, made their way back to the T-car to further their pursuit. They had a general vicinity now which meant the search had to begin immediately which in turn meant probably no sleep tonight. The Titans were tired, so very tired, but it had to be done. Maybe tonight would be different...maybe...

--

Robin stared at himself in a half broken mirror, studying the newly formed scars on his body from his time with Slade. Each one was a mark of weakness in Slade's eyes and in Robin's eyes...they were simply a reminder that Slade was still utterly and completely in charge. Robin easily noticed that he had spurted up about two inches in height, maybe finally hitting a growth spurt. Of course it could all just be residual effect from the various drugs and substances Slade seemed to randomly inject into him. It was like he had become a human lab rat for Slade along with being Slade's punching bag and apprentice. It was all very draining though even Robin had to admit, he was becoming stronger, tougher, and more focused than he had ever been before...rising above what he had been as a titan.

Robin shook his head, clearing the near treacherous thoughts from the surface of his mind. He couldn't think like that...couldn't...the Titans were still out there, still searching for him undoubtably. A darker voice whispered that they had given up by now, left him for dead, but really how long had it been? Robin had no idea...time was irrelevant as sleep...and pain. This simply was...undeniably so...

Robin pulled on the rest of his uniform, leaving off much of the armored plating as Slade told him he would not need it for awhile. Slade had something planned, this much Robin knew, and his instincts told him this would be the worst yet to come. Things had been mild...mild by Slade's standards lately which meant something was on the horizon...more blood to be spilled.

Slade's smooth voice erupted from the intercom system, echoing the entire complex that was truly massive in its entirety, probably able to house an entire army on its own, and from Robin knew, there was indeed an army within his home of robotic minions, ready to carry out their master's plans just as Robin had no choice but too.

"Apprentice...come to the infirmary immediately." Robin could hear the communication click off, the orders made clear to him. Robin took one more look at himself in the mirror, before slamming his fist into the already broken mirror, shattering it completely. His own appearance truly disgusted him...such a weakling still.

Robin walked toward his destination and a perfectly tuned pace of a soldier, the echo of his boots with each step carrying down the empty hallways. The rhythmic sound was soothing...probably the only thing that had been soothing for him in a long, long time. Weeks? Months? Years? Did it even matter anymore? A day was too much to be under the control of this madman, and it surely had been far longer than that.

In his time here, Slade still remained almost a complete mystery. The man was never seen eating, sleeping, or doing anything a normal human would do though Robin knew in his gut he did these things...just never in front of prying eyes. Slade was found of sitting on his 'throne', preaching philosophy or some strange sociology view to Robin, explaining why things are the way they are, and how one must adapt to these undeniable truths. Robin despised to admit it, but Slade did make a lot of sense...much of his logic impossible to argue with, so easy to agree with. It was what it was.

Robin finally arrived at his destination, the smooth, metallic door sliding open almost silently, revealing the low lit sterile room that served as the place where Robin was healed and experimented on. Slade stood in the middle of the room, next to a hospital bed, numerous tables of equipment surrounding him filled with various tools and many things Robin could not recognize.

"What do you want Slade?" Robin could tell he was grinning.

"I've decided to impart on to you a gift to aid you in becoming stronger. You are going to undergo a procedure that will help increase your abilities."

"What type of procedure?" Robin felt his stomach grow heavy at this conversation, wanting to flee as fast as he could from this place but he knew he could not.

"Quite simple my boy. I am going to replace your eyes with special ocular implants that will provide you with tremendously increased vision as well as the ability to see in several spectrums that normal humans never could. Consider it a gift if you will."

"You sick, twisted..."

"Silence apprentice." Slade's stern order is immediately followed, Robin's body seizing up at his command as the unseen burning flames anew within his very soul. Robin clutched his hands into fists at the pain knowing it will not go away.

"Now lie down on the bed so I can begin. This will take time and careful work on my part. Though I loath to admit it, I have failed one in this procedure though that was more of a test than anything. I can ensure you, I would not attempt it on my greatest apprentice unless I knew it would work. You are far too valuable to waste a possibly flawed attempt on." Robin's body moves almost on its own accord settling on his back on the bed, realizing that these are the last moments he will ever see with human eyes...his eyes. Robin tried to force his body to move, but every movement defied the orders set down by Slade, causing flare ups of extreme pain, quickly sapping his strength and will, leaving him slightly disoriented...slightly more accepting of his Master's gift. Robin fought against the final thought but it things just weren't as clear as they had been only moments ago.

Slade stared down with his one, cold gray eye, removing Robin's coveted mask from his face, revealing two cold, blue eyes that stared defiantly up even as his body provided no resistance.

"There will be no anesthesia used. You are stronger than that. However, just in case, do not scream...that is an order." Pain...only more pain. There was no sanctuary, no peace, no hope. Robin looked up as a sharp, metal tool came closer to his eyes with Slade lording over him in the background...this would be the last thing Robin would ever see with his human eyes...eyes that were perfect replicas of his long dead mother's beautiful eyes...eyes that would never gaze upon the beauty that was Raven ever again. Robin never once screamed.

--

Raven awoke to find herself in her bed in the tower, her home. How? This wasn't possible. They had been searching for Robin in some far off city, this she was sure of. They had just finished up their latest lead and taken a few hours to rest. She quickly got out of bed grabbing her nearby cloak to cover herself. Something was wrong, this much she knew...this much her powers told her as they seemed chaotic at best at this moment. She pushed her communicator to contact Cyborg but found nothing happening. She pushed it again and again, but received no response from the piece of electronic. Something was indeed wrong.

She phased through her door out into the hallway, no lights being found on in the hallway...no sounds... eeriness at its most complete. Raven didn't want to admit it but she was scared. She floated carefully down the hallway, expecting almost anything. What she found she had not been expecting at all.

Raven passed by Robin's door to find it open completely. No one should be in there...no one. Raven growled to herself as she floated menacing into Robin's room, quietly asking for forgiveness in the back of her mind for invading his privacy again. However, all her threatening anger was gone when she found a young man in a familiar red, green, and yellow uniform standing within the room with his back to her, her heart coming to a dead stop.

"Robin..." It barely sounded like her own voice, so quiet, disbelieving, and pleading all at the same time. Robin did not respond, did not move.

"Robin...please tell me its you...please tell me I'm not dreaming...please tell me the last three months have been nothing but a nightmare?" Raven watched with hopeful eyes as Robin slowly turned around, realizing that his mask was in fact not in. Raven waited to be greeted by Robin's handsome face and his perfect, blue eyes but instead, her breathe was caught in her throat in absolute horror.

There were no eyes...nothing except empty sockets staring back at her, yet somehow still staring right into her.

"No...no...no..." The emptiness continued to bore into her as pain started wracking her body, causing her to collapse. Terrible emotions of pure hatred and rage, reminders of her father poured into her but this time she knew...she this was from Robin. Raven screamed...it was all she could do.

For the second time since the search for Robin began, Raven awoke screaming in the night, quickly gathering her friends to her side. This time was far worse than they remembered, and they all instantly knew she had somehow connected to Robin again, and Robin had been suffering terribly. Her body was near convulsing, siezuring, and they did their best to try and get her body to relax to no avail. Raven could not hear their voices, could not see their concerned faces. All Raven could see was those empty sockets and knew, she would never see those blue eyes she loved so much ever again. Her stomach contents were soon emptied on to the floor.


	31. Without Hesitation

A/N: Sorry for the long, long delay. Just been in one of my moods where I haven't wanted to do anything except what I absolutely had to. So anyways, here's the update, hopefully, and I do mean hopefully, will have another one up before the end of the week to make up for my long absence. I can't promise that I'll try, but I'll try to try. That's it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 31: Without Hesitation

By: Finalitylife

It was another night in the beautiful and ever so peaceful Jump City. The sky remained still bright and clear even though night had already fallen, the bay water continued to glisten and sparkle in the moonlight, and people still happily walked down the street. Parents with children, old couples just strolling about, and even younger couples dealing with the awkwardness and fear so accustomed to adolescence and the opposite sex.

People laughed and smiled and chattered away about the Titans that protected the city...all their heroes that could never be replaced...how quickly people forget about the ones who only left them six months ago. Pictures and posters of the original Titans were so easily replaced by those of Titan's East, not a second thought about those that had simply one day left without explanation. No civilian knew as to why one day the Titans just left, leaving behind a new group of heroes, a feeling of being abandoned for the people of the city hitting hard. However, everything went right back to normal with the new Titans who did just as good a job of protecting the city as the originals ever did...a lot of people believed an even better job that the original Titans.

With these new Titans, there was no one-eyed madman terrorizing every living moment of the citizens with the potential of bombs and attacks. With these new Titans, there was no crazed, blonde geomencer forcing everyone to flee their homes...an attacker the Titans displayed as one of their own. With these new Titans, things were far more peaceful, as if the original Titans took all their violence and problems with them. The citizens were happy...or maybe just ignorant though probably somewhere in between. None of the happy people saw the black, shadowy Raven flying across the sky toward the tower.

Raven's soul self flew rapidly through the sky, passing through the walls and defenses of the tower with perfect ease, forming back into the physical form of a purple haired woman with cold eyes.

Raven surveyed the inside of her dark room noticing easily that nothing had been moved at all...no one had entered her domain just as had been explicitly ordered to Titan's East. She slowly approached her bookshelf, first waving her hand muttering a few magical wards to drop the heavy defenses she had placed before leaving. She pulled a few books off the shelf and sat on the floor, pulling the first book into her lap, her eyes instantly beginning to scan the ancient words of power despite her whole body being weary, her mind slightly frazzled.

The Titans had been searching in another city for Rose, another few months passing without any new result. However, this city had been close enough to Jump City that Raven took the opportunity to return home to do more research on finding a way to free Robin. Her friends understood her reason for leaving, though they still were heavily surprised when she had said it, she being by far the most relentless in the search for Robin. On several occasions, she had come dangerously close to crossing a line she knew she shouldn't cross in her pursuit to find him, only managing to hold back because of her friends presence...and the fact that she knew just what Robin would have said if she did it. He would have been disappointed...but he also would have blamed himself for allowing Raven to do what he would forever regret doing...crossing that line as Red X.

Everyday provided a new challenge for Raven, whether it was because of the search, her newly freed emotions with many of them she was learning to embrace fully without fear...like anger, or the lingering connection she still had to Robin...that was the worst of it all.

It was completely random and uncontrollable, reforming at the most unexpected and sometimes inopportune times...bringing nothing but horrifying visions and pain. Robin was hurting...Robin was suffering...and most of all, Raven knew Robin was losing, and not just physical pieces of himself. She could feel it clearly some nights even though she didn't want to, could feel that Robin was slowly slipping into the darkness of himself, fueled by whatever Slade was doing to him, whatever Slade was telling him. It hurt her deeply every time the connection was formed, haunting her slumber, haunting her waking moments, yet at least the connection showed that Robin was still alive, that a part of his darkened mind was still reaching out to her. At the very least...she had that.

Her eyes continued to scan the symbols in the book when she heard voices in the hallway walking by which only could have been Bumble Bee and Speedy talking.

"You're going out on another date tonight? Didn't you just have one yesterday?" She could hear Speedy laugh his cocky laugh.

"Actually I had two last night. I can't help it if I'm so popular...got to make as many people happy as I can. It just so happens those people happen to normally be very leggy blondes."

"You're an idiot Speedy. Just don't stay out too late, we need to train more tomorrow. I think we've been relaxing far too much lately."

"Okay mom...I'll be home before the street lights come on."

"Haha, not funny. Just pay attention Roy. I want this city in exactly the same condition as it was when they left, you got me?"

"Yeah...yeah. I'll be good. I'm not going to give Robin the satisfaction when he gets back to know I couldn't handle his job. I'm still angry he beat me in that tournament. Lucky bastard..."

"I really don't think Robin is all that lucky Speedy." Bumble Bee's voice was quiet and grim.

"Thanks for ruining the mood Bee...I'll see you later." Even Raven noticed the slight sadness in Speedy's voice as he left though it was quickly concealed as the young archer left, soon followed by Bumble Bee. Raven let out a deep sigh. She really missed simple casual conversations like that at the tower...even if most of her conversations were one-sided with her friends doing the most talking. Even still...she missed it.

Raven's eyes turned back to her book, fighting off the need to sleep as she often did these days, turning another ancient page carefully. Her eyes scanned a few lines when her whole body tensed up completely, her breathe caught in her throat. She slowly and very carefully read the lines over again, and she shot to her feet, running over to her bookshelf. She pulled out another book, tossing it to the floor next to the one she had been reading, opening it to the correct page she hoped to remember. She scanned the strange symbols, knowing this is what she had been looking for. She processed both books words, trying to meld the complicated explanations and cryptic words into something truly meaningful. Why did magic always have to be so damn vague!

However, it was almost in an instant that it finally all became clear to Raven...exactly what it meant. The two books combined provided the answer she had sought all too clearly. Raven stood up slowly from the floor she had been kneeling on, lost within the thoughts in her mind though still instinctively forming into her soul self to progress down the hall into another room that was just as dark as hers. She formed back to her real self and slowly walked forward, slowly falling on to the bed in front of her.

She grabbed a pillow and pulled it tightly to her chest as she adjusted her cloak around her. Even his scent no longer lingered here...nothing truly remained of his presence...a single tear rolled form her eye as she clutched the pillow as if it would truly push away her thoughts. When the time came...if it came...would she truly be strong enough? Thankfully, dreamless sleep came soon for Raven.

--

No matter how many times Robin broke it, Slade always had a pristine new mirror put in his room to replace the one that had been broken in a fit of rage or senseless lashing out. It was as if Slade knew staring at himself was only bringing confusion and pain to Robin...bringing about thoughts that were consuming and relentless all the same.

Long black hair continued to grow out, beginning to frame the sides of Robin's face, his skin becoming slightly paler as he had not been in natural light in what felt like years. His face would have looked ghostly, but instead it almost looked demonic as instead of human eyes staring back at him, two grey, cybernetic eyes stared back at him, red, glowing irises staring out, casting the faintest of red light on his pale face when his mask was not on.

Robin wasn't even sure what he was looking at anymore. His face turned ever so slightly, feeling the mechanical eyes shift with the motion, a feeling that was slowly becoming almost natural to him since the operation was performed. Since then, his abilities had increased just as Slade had said they would. He was capable of seeing in the dark, seeing heat signatures as well as several other spectra of light, and his actions seemed to be even faster now, seeing things almost before they happened, his already impressive reflexes becoming even greater. Slade promised strength, and he did not break his promise.

The image of two blue eyes replaced the cold, robotic stare of his eyes, his hands reaching up to clutch his head. Everything was so confusing, he knew he shouldn't be so accepting of all this, but the strength and power he had always desired deep inside was being granted to him, but there was so much pain, so much suffering...it just didn't make any sense anymore. Nothing made sense anymore, but then again, everything made even more sense as the hours flowed by without meaning to time. Logic dictated much of Robin's thoughts, but logic was beginning to agree with Slade and that simply could not be...Slade could not be right...he was a monster...a monster...was he a monster?

Again waves of confusion broke down Robin's thoughts, and he slammed his hand down on the table next to him, splintering it easily. He needed to fight...fighting was always so simple and direct...there was no more thinking then, no more confusion. Only himself, his opponent, and the battle. His desire was answered as the intercom came to life.

"Apprentice...meet me in the sparring room now." Robin smiled at the request, just what he wanted. He only barely managed to suppress the words, 'Thank you Master." Slade was not his master...he would never submit. Slade was the enemy, was the one who was keeping him away from his friends...away from Raven. Raven...Robin's hands started shaking ever so slightly as a dark voice whispered in his mind. Where were his friends? Where was Raven? They had found him so easily last time but now, they were nowhere to be found. Slade loved to tell him that the Titans were still in Jump City, still protecting the city, and the people of the city he once protected couldn't be happier. Had they already forgotten about him...already abandoned him after everything he had done so selflessly. It wasn't right...couldn't be true...but what was true anymore when Robin's truth and Slade's truth began to appear as one.

Robin was far too eager in his gait as he made it to the sparring room which really was just a larger room with enough space to fight without hindrance. It was the place where most of Robin's training took place since the surgery so that he could get used to his new abilities. Upon entering the dark room, he saw Slade standing in the middle of the room, an unseen spotlight seemingly illuminating him the most out of everything.

"Welcome apprentice. Thank you for making it here swiftly. This is of the upmost importance." Robin went to say something defiant, but really just stopped himself before saying anything as he really didn't feel like another pointless argument when they never got him anywhere.

"I've decided to test just how far you've come...how far you've evolved since I took you under my wing. We will spar each other, and I encourage you to give everything you can. I have no desire for you to hold back." A dark grin crossed Robin's face as his cybernetic eyes locked on Slade. This would be very much fun.

"Now my apprentice, let us fight." The two simultaneously extended their metallic bo staffs, staring intently at each other though in no way sizing up their opponents. They both knew their opponent better than any other in existence, knew exactly what they were up against. They would fight, and Robin planned on winning.

The impact of the two staffs echoed throughout the darkness, the two fighters pushing their weight toward each other, Robin finding it not as difficult as he once had, his body and size having increased since his time with Slade...maturity finally setting in. Slade and Robin pushed back from each other and immediately both went on the attack, their movements so fast they were almost nothing but a blur, barely visible to the average human eye though neither of these combatants were anything close to average humans.

"Impressive Robin. This is as strong as I've ever seen you. I do believe you owe me a thank you for helping you to reach this level." Robin resisted the urge to lash out, to succumb to his anger which would have made him vulnerable to a counterstrike, and his maintained control was rewarded by nearly landing a blow on Slade. Slade stepped back to avoid the strike and almost looked like he was hard pressed to block Robin's next, relentless assault.

The battle continued on without remorse by either fighter, successful attacks being very rare, but when landed were connected with utter ruthlessness and brutal power. Robin truly felt like he was winning, that his ability to see so clearly in the darkness gave him enough advantage against his still larger, and more experienced opponent. He would win this battle.

It was in an instant that it happened, an instant that held absolutely no hesitation, doubt, or regret within the action. It was completely instinctual, done with so much ease, that one would think Robin had done in dozens to of times before. Slade had overextended himself on a strike, and in that moment of weakness, Robin attacked, a hidden blade appearing in his hand, sliding out in one fluidic motion straight into the heart of Slade. Robin had seamlessly gone for the kill without conscience or worry, and won the battle.

The moment ended, and instead of blood pouring out of the would, an eruption of sparks emanated, Robin detracting his hand quickly to avoid them. The robotic doppleganger of Slade toppling to the ground with a metallic thud, though Robin did not seem to notice it or the fact that he was bathed in the light of that single spotlight above. Robin simply could not take his eyes off his own hands, just staring at them with a blank look on his face, seeing blood there that was not truly there. He had killed Slade...would have killed Slade without a second thought, would have so easily become a killer without hesitation. It had all been so very easy to do.

"Excellent work my apprentice. You have finally transcended your pitiful notions of right and wrong, and with such an effective result too." Robin dropped to his knees, his eyes still locked on his hands, crimson refusing to leave. Robin didn't care at the moment where Slade's voice was coming from though he could not argue the truth of the words.

"You did not hesitate to go for the kill Robin. I am deeply proud of you...deeply proud. You are finally, truly worthy to be my apprentice...truly worthy of my legacy." Robin did not respond, a part of his mind smiling at the words of approval from Slade, the other still locked in horror on his hands...hands that had every intention of taking a life this day.

"Good work my apprentice. You can rest now." Robin could hear heavy footsteps leaving the room and a door opening as the only light turned out, leaving Robin alone in the dark once more.


	32. Found But Still Lost

A/N: Yup...and there you go. Really should have had this one out sooner but I can't even find the motivation to review, let alone write long chapters, but I'm working on it...doing my best which obviously isn't really that good...so anyways, I can honestly say, I have no friggin idea what I'm doing anymore...good luck with this one

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 32:Found and Still Lost

By: Finalitylife

Raven had been sleeping comfortably for sometime she figured, feeling very relaxed, straddling that fine line between still asleep and waking up, when a surge of dark, disturbing emotions suddenly began flowing into her mind. There were no physical visions or anything to tell her what occurrence was the source of the emotions, but she knew they were from Robin because she could hear him screaming for her...screaming for her to come save him. They began to push harder against her mind like a dagger directly into her brain. Her semiconscious mind began yelling his name, and Raven was sure she was physically calling it as well, a desperate plea for him to answer though just as desperate for the pain to stop. The pain started to increase, but thankfully, someone began shaking her to fully wake her up, breaking the connection, a final ragged call by Robin being cut off with it.

"Raven! Come on wake up..." Raven heard the male voice speaking to her, and instinctively called out the name that was on her mind, still sounding desperate and frightened.

"Robin?" The response was exactly as the logical part of her mind expected, though was still disheartening all the same.

"No Raven its Speedy...are you okay?." Raven absorbed the information slowly before realizing truly who it was, shooting up to a sitting situation eyeing the red-headed archer standing there in the darkness of the room, still fighting pack the slight remnants of the emotions she had been feeling, bring a shaky hand to her head to try and calm herself. Those emotions...Robin's emotions were imbalancing her own and her mind, however she did her best to respond to this highly undesired intrusion.

"What are you doing here?" Raven's voice came out far weaker than she would have ever wanted Speedy to here it as...she didn't like people to know she was slipping because then they would start asking questions and Raven didn't want to talk about it...especially with an immature womanizer like Speedy.

"What am I doing here? I come home from a date and the security system starts picking up a heat signature in Robin's room, but doesn't raise any alarm because it completely recognizes it, and upon inspection I find you thrashing around in Robin's bed. Seriously Raven, I'd like an explanation. I'm worried that you're here...worried that I found you like this."

"I don't owe you any explanation Speedy. Now if you excuse me, I have to be returning to the other Titans. They need me." Raven tried to stand up, stumbling over still unable to find her balance as her body did not seem to want to cooperate with her shaky mind. However, she was caught by the steady hands of Speedy. She just wanted to get out of here, away from questions and prying eyes, but she knew she wasn't ready to travel the distance she needed to until she was calm and back in control.

"Easy there girl...just sit down for now. You don't have to tell me anything, but I'm seriously not going to let you leave like this." Speedy helped Raven to sit back on the bed, helping her settle though she resisted his contact and his help as best as her current 'state' allowed. Raven truly did not like the prolonged contact and glared up at Speedy as she sat down.

"You can let go of me now Speedy." Speedy pulled his hands away quickly, standing up and scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry Raven...force of habit to keep my hands on the beautiful women." Raven again glared harshly at Speedy, and he laughed nervously. After that, the room took on a silence as Raven closed her eyes, chanting her mantra over and over again feeling her balance starting to return. Her concentration was broken by Speedy's soft voice, uncharacteristically soft because there was a slight quiver to it she only noticed with the help of her empathy telling her the emotions behind it. She looked up at the red haired archer with a curious glance.

"I know I said you don't have to tell me anything, but could you...could you at least tell me if you've found anything new about Rose?" Raven felt her heart soften, remembering that Speedy had known Robin before the Titans were even a thought, and probably was hating the fact he could not look for him himself. Cyborg had done his best to keep all of them updated, but Raven was unaware just how often that was.

"No...nothing as of yet. She's still always one step ahead of us, but we will find her eventually because I know we will never stop looking and its only a matter of time before she makes some type of mistake." The lines sounded almost rehearsed from Raven's mouth, though in a way they were because she said them anytime of the Titans started to feel glum about the chase.

"I know you guys will. You'd never give up on finding Robin...none of us would." Again silence took over the room. Raven tried to find her center, but simply could not. She felt so very tired, as if everything she had felt from Robin had sapped away the rest she had received and there were times before from other 'flare-ups' of their bond that it was indeed the case, leaving her needing more rest despite already sleeping some. Perhaps it was a side effect of the bond and the black magic that coursed through Robin. Again Raven raised a slightly shaking hand to her head, something Speedy did notice, and Raven could not deny the caring in his voice.

"Hey Raven...maybe you should rest a bit longer...you don't look so good."

"I'm fine..." Speedy shook his head at hearing Raven's weak voice.

"Now I'm not one to normally call bullshit Raven, but its quite clear your not fine. It won't kill you to rest a little bit longer."

"But it might kill Robin." Raven's cold voice chilled Speedy slightly, and he imagined that was Raven's intention so that he would just let the situation go. He was not going to do that however.

"Raven..." Speedy sat down next to Raven on the bed though a good three feet away, Raven giving him a glare as he did so.

"We all understand just how serious this situation is but...but you need to take better care of yourself. You know Robin...if something ever happened to you while looking for him, you know he's never forgive himself. That self righteous bastard...no matter what he always only wants the best for all of us, and from the bits and pieces I've managed to get out of Cy, I think your well being matters the most to him." Speedy smiled one of his cocky smiles as Raven looked slightly nervous at what Speedy seemed to know, though she inwardly smiled at thinking about Robin and his sweet, caring nature.

"I'm going to harm Cyborg severely when I see him next." This only caused Speedy to laugh.

"Aw don't blame the man. I can be quite persuasive and pestering when I want to be, and I'm sure if Robin was around he would have mentioned it to me anyways. I mean seriously, you two make a really cute couple."

"That's it I'm leaving..." Raven stood up swiftly, wanting to get away from this topic of conversation with Speedy of all people but she felt a rush to her head, again causing her to stumble and once again Speedy caught her, preventing her from falling.

"That's twice Raven...you really need to relax more." Raven looked up at Speedy smiling at her, realizing just how close the two were, him holding her tightly, and she imagined it would have looked bad for them two if someone saw it. However, the only reason Raven wasn't pushing herself off with authority because she was suddenly extremely tired, her body feeling very heavy finding it difficult to move at all.

"Just admit it Raven, you still need to rest..." Raven managed to nod weakly, hating how vulnerable she was looking and acting right now, but her body and mind screamed at her to sleep, and she was finding it impossible to argue anymore.

"See that wasn't so hard. I know your tough Raven, but even the toughest chicks need sleep after enduring everything you've had to deal with the past six months. How about you go to sleep for two hours, and I promise to wake you up, won't tell anyone you're here either." Speedy helped Raven get her legs up onto the bed.

"It's a deal Speedy...just don't ever call me a chick again." Despite her weariness, Speedy still found force behind the threat.

"Alright...alright...you just rest." Speedy stood up and pulled the blanket up for Raven so that she just wasn't using her cloak for cover. He watched her continue to fight her eyes from closing for a few more seconds, clearly losing.

"Just go to sleep Rae. Robin would never forgive himself if something happened to you while he was away, and as his oldest friend, I know he would never forgive me if I let something happen to you if I could prevent it. You just sleep Raven...just rest for a little while. You know that's what Robin would want from you right now." At his words, despite losing to her weariness, Raven found herself wanting an answer to a question.

"You've known Robin a long time Speedy...how come you never joined the original Titans all that time ago? I imagine Robin would have asked you." Speedy too a few seconds before responding.

"Honestly, he did ask me Raven. I said no. I said no because I knew that Robin would insist on being the leader, and I know I could never constantly take orders from him. Robin and I grow up as friends but as rivals as well, always wanting to out do the other, to honestly think I could be on a team where I always had to answer to somebody who I wanted to beat at every bastion of life, well I think you can figure out that it wouldn't have worked without us trying to killing each other. Friendly competition between the two of us...but competition nonetheless. I mean I'm sure he told you about that Master of Games tournament we got dragged off to and that was a mild spar considering some of the battles we've been through. Leader and subordinate really wouldn't work...of course after seeing you and Starfire, I do have to slightly question my decision..."

Speedy went to give one of his sly smiles only to realize Raven was asleep, not really knowing how much of his explanation she had actually heard. Speedy shrugged and quietly left the room, setting an alarm on his communicator for exactly two hours. He would keep his promise.

Of course what neither of them knew was that the whole encounter had been seen through a security camera in Robin's room that though only having video and not audio, captured enough. Without Cyborg, by far the true technical and computer genius, the security encryptions had been an easy target for Slade to maintain his observation on the tower. Slade laughed to himself from his 'throne room' as he replayed the scene on the monitor in front of him, pausing at the part where Speedy held Raven, the two almost looking like they were going to kiss. Again Slade laughed to himself as he started adjusting the tape.

"I do believe my apprentice will love to see this. He would find it most interesting to know just how quickly they've all forgotten him."

--

A few hours later, after getting her much needed two hours of sleep, Speedy had indeed woken up Raven so that she could return to the other Titans, a new found vigor coursing through her body as if she had been re-energized, though the information from her magical books still weighing heavily on her mind, and she doubted that would ever leave. She stood for a few seconds on the roof of the tower...her home...by herself, before forming into her soul self, taking off into the sky.

Raven reached the current 'headquarters' of the Titans in the city they were searching in, taking a few seconds to gather back her energy from the trip, when her communicator started buzzing. The other four Titans were out searching the city, and she was surprised how quickly they were contacting her as it had only been a few minutes since they would have realized she was back from the locator signal the communicator provided. The second she pushed the button to receive on the communicator, Cyborg's slightly frantic voice came through.

"Rae...you won't believe this. The lights are on and somebody is home. I'm picking up a distinct single heat signature in this place. I repeat, she's here...she's here...we found her." Raven couldn't even imagine what was actually being said, that their long sought prey had finally been found. Maybe found, but definitely not caught...how difficult that would be remained to be seen, and if she was truly Slade's daughter, than it would be problematic at best. It really all just felt surreal to her at the moment but the tone in Cyborg's voice was undeniable.

"I hear you Cyborg. Get everyone in their positions. I'll be there in a few moments." Raven did not disappoint, appearing quickly, though to the Titans that were there, it felt like an eternity in the confines of the intense situation at hand. It did not take much communication to see up a plan because the Titans had done this same thing dozens of time in the past six months searching for Rose, and it had become almost routine searching out buildings like these, this one appearing to be a rundown apartment building in a mostly abandoned part of town though indeed lights were on.

However, the Titans knew this was the absolutely real thing, and the plan was modified a bit. There would be as little direct attack as possible until the exact moment it was needed. Raven would make the first move, Cyborg and Starfire would provide cover, and Beast Boy would be the ace in the hole, hiding as something almost too small to be seen, acting if things quickly got out of hand.

The Titans silently got into position on the ground floor, their target in a wide open space that probably was once a lobby when the building was still lived in. Starfire made her way up to a balcony hanging over the ground to provide air coverage and was the first one to see their target though it was only seconds that the rest did, music greeting them all as well.

What the Titans found did not seem to be an immediate threat. Opera music blared through out the building, echoing on the walls, a soothing, graceful melody filling the air. In the middle of the room was a young woman who could be no older than they were with long white hair, a lithe yet muscular body, and most notably, a black eyepatch over her right eye. Her height was somewhere in between Raven's and Starfire's, though probably closer to Starfire, and the skin tight black outfit she wore clearly showed just how in shape she was. She seemed to be in the middle of some type of training session, moving perfectly fluidic to the music as she spun her body around in complex yet perfectly executed movements while slashing and stabbing elongated daggers in the air.

Raven hated to admit it, but it was very beautiful to watch, reminding her of some of Robin's training sessions that she used to watch what seemed like so long ago, content to simply watch him move in his perfection of action. Raven also noticed that the girl who could only be Rose, had her one eye closed as she went to the motion, seemingly lost in the music, and Raven couldn't help but think that maybe this would be somewhat easy.

Raven remained in the shadows, moving unseen closer and closer, taking the point of the confrontation while Starfire and Cyborg continued their back up duty while Beast Boy was already closer than anyone could see in the form of an insect, only noticeably to those who knew what to look for. Raven's first direct action would trigger them all to converge, but some one beat her to the punch. Rose spun around one last time, and in a single, barely seen motion, a dagger was flying through the air, stabbing into the wall right next to Raven's head.

"I see you..." Rose responded in a feminine sing-song voice as she smiled directly at where Raven was. Raven found herself unable to move, shocked at her sudden discovery. Thankfully, it was Starfire and Cyborg who attacked, starbolts and sonic cannon erupting but only hitting the ground as Rose, acrobatically flipped backwards a few times to avoid the attack. Beast Boy transformed into a large gorilla behind her only to receive a back elbow straight into his jaw with devastating effectiveness causing him to crash back into the wall. She had known he was there. Rose did a few more flips away from everyone landing in a half crouch brandishing her dagger at the Titans with still the same smile on her face.

"Oh hello...the Titans I presume. No need for further violence. I mean it seems you have been looking for me for some time so I am curious to know what you want. I mean 6 months is such a long time to chase me...it must be something especially important...oh what has my Father done...killed that precious leader of yours finally?"

Raven noticed that the only word that wasn't said with sarcasm or slight laughter was Father. It was clearly said harshly and with disgust, something Raven took as a decent sign that Rose was not a fan of her Father. None of the Titans said anything, gathering closer to each other, Beast Boy painfully rubbing his jaw though ready for anything.

"We've been searching for you because we need..." Cyborg was cut off.

"My help I imagine, and it seems like it might be a possibility. You see my abilities have been warning me of your approach since you started your search, but this time, I received no warning. I guess I was meant to be found this time, and I am a little sad our game is ending. Its been awhile since I really had anything to do except train." Again she laughed still sounding like she hadn't a care in the world. Starfire unexpectently burst forward with anger in her voice.

"This was nothing but a game to you? "

"Of course, but look at the bright side...you kept me amused, and isn't that what really matters?" Rose's laughter was cut off by Starfire's enraged voice, mirroring all the Titans thoughts that Rose had so much fun while they fought so hard to find Robin.

"How dare you!" Starfire flew forward intent on delivering a punch to Rose's face. Rose mock yawned as Starfire flew forward, moving her head to the side at absolutely the last second, her dagger coming up, stopping just short of Starfire's eye, stopping the stunned alien princess in an instant.

"You can stop now unless you'd like to have matching eyepatches with me. We could be twins..." More slightly crazed laughter caused a slight chill to run down Starfire's spine as she found herself unable to move. Thankfully, Raven came to the rescue, black energy forming around the dagger, throwing at the wall next to the other one in a moment. Rose did not seem to mind.

"Well now that's over, tell me what you want? I'm still betting its revenge on my father for killing your leader since I don't see him anywhere nor in any of my visions. Is that it Rae? I can call you Rae, right? Raven did not take the bait to argue, but did take a direct route.

"Close Rose. Your father has taken Robin through means against his will, and is intent on making Robin his apprentice, someone to take after him. We hope that you, as his daughter, can help us find him." For the first time, the smile on Rose's face left, leaving a very dark and cold look that was chilling to all except Raven though the look as quickly gone, the smile returning as Rose casually walked over pulling her daggers from the wall.

"Well I guess I can help you with your search, since like I said, I have been bored, and I do believe it is finally time for a reunion with my father dearest. I do believe I am ready to see him again. For now, make yourself at home. I'm going to go shower, anybody want to join me?" She turned around with a very sultry smile, eyeing each of the four Titans who weren't really sure what to do. Raven noticed her one, cold grey eye remained longest on Beast Boy, like a predator who had spotted the weakest of the prey, causing the young changling to fidget underneath the gaze.

"Oh well...suit yourself." Rose soon disappeared into a nearby hallway.

"Someone want to tell me what's going on because seriously, I don't know what just happened?" Raven agreed with Beast Boy in her mind, though would never admit that fact.

"Yeah I'm going to have to agree with grass stain over there, is this girl crazy or what? And seriously, am I the only one who just wants to wipe that damn smile off her face right now." Raven reluctantly did her best to calm everyone down and make some sense.

"Alright...we need to be smart about all of this. It seems Rose is not a fan of Slade either despite him being her father, and it looks like she will be willing to help us. This is what we wanted, and now we have it. This...this is our best hope to find Robin, just don't turn your back on Rose...she may want to help us, but that doesn't mean she can be trusted. Is that understood?" All the Titans nodded to Raven's words.

"Hey Raven? What do we do now?" Raven took a few seconds to consider the question from Beast Boy.

"We wait until she comes back out here so that maybe she can clarify a few things. To be honest, until she wants to do something, we're at her mercy. We just have to be patient..." Raven almost cringed at that word again. Patience...she just didn't know if she had any left in her, and she hated the fact that for a moment she had actually contemplated ripping apart Rose's mind for the information she hoped to find. It would have been a monstrous act against someone who had shown no proof she was evil, could have potentially devastated her own mind as well yet still Raven had considered it, and she hated that fact all the same. Raven needed to control her desperation if they hoped to succeed. They had found Rose...there chances could have only increased now of finding Robin...hadn't they?


	33. A Rose by any other name

A/N: Second update in two days...yeah that's right, I'm not completely useless...well actually, that might be a lie. Anyways, this chapter is a bit...yeah know, I'm not exactly sure what to say about it...have fun...next chapter is about a quarter done already...and will kind of flow with his one. I might write it tonight but I kind of want to go back and come up with titles for all the chapters that don't have them and because I suck at that...it could occupy the rest of my day...good luck to that...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 33: A Rose by any other name...

By: Finalitylife

The tension at the table for the Titans was incredible while Rose seemed to be totally and completely unaffected by the situation as if she either really just didn't care all that much or she knew something that just no one else knew, and from the small smirk on her face, one would truly think that. All the Titan's eyes remained firmly on the white haired young woman in front of them as she twirled a small knife effortlessly in her hand, smiling a little wider, before resuming her business of cutting some of the food in front of her, eating it slowly and methodically, and Raven just knew she was doing it purposely to annoy them.

After Rose's shower, she had come back out into the main room, looking everything like an average teenage girl in a t-shirt and cotton shorts...well average if you didn't count the eye patch and white hair. She had preceded to order some food from a nearby Italian restaurant, asking the Titans if they had wanted any with they had all declined though Raven got the feeling both Cyborg and Beast Boy wanted to say yes despite their apparent nervousness around this girl. Rose had simply shrugged and used a cell phone to call, only increasing her appearance of just a normal girl chatting away on the phone. It was a slightly unnerving thing to see...so casual...so simple even though Raven knew this girl was nothing of the sort. Despite Rose being exemplary at blocking off her emotions from Raven's empathy, her one eye could not hide all the secrets the girl was hiding, and Raven knew Rose would inevitably be trouble for all of them despite being there best hope.

Raven had been amazed when the food had shown up so quickly to this desolate and nearly abandoned area of this city, but all of this was quickly explained when Rose handed the smiling delivery guy a handful of hundreds without hesitation. Enough money makes anything possible.

It was then that Rose had asked to hear everything about what was going on, and she did want to hear everything if she was indeed going to help in an effective manner, and Raven had proceeded to do so, hiding as much as she could, but being rather specific when it came to Slade and the Titans and Robin's history with the madman.

As she ate her dinner during the conversation, she remained causal and smiling yet again Raven could see it in her eye every time certain things were said about her father, could see the cold almost deadly glimmer there...it was hatred, a hatred toward her father which was something Raven could understand so perfectly and so easily. Her father had been the most evil and destruction being existence had ever known, and she had hated him beyond almost any fathomable meaning of that word, and she wondered if that look in Rose's eye had mirrored the look in her own. If it had...Raven didn't want to think about it.

"Wow...the apocalypse...nice going Rae. Brought it about and stopped it within the same day...glad I didn't have to be there for that one. Of course it seems you lost something of value in the process...and truthfully, what is actually the value of your leader?" Rose's eye sparkled with mischief as she smiled directly at Raven, a smile that Raven truly found disgusting for some reason. It was Starfire who responded to the question.

"The value of Robin can never be put into monetary value or words...he is our friend and he is our family...he is simply beyond value to us." The Titans couldn't help but inwardly smile at the kind and heartfelt words of Starfire. Rose only chuckled slightly.

"Of course...family is just such a sacred thing isn't it." Everyone felt themselves grow cold as Rose's smile disappeared, a deep, dark sarcasm in her voice as she twirled the knife in her hand again before in a lightning quick movement, flung it to the side, impaling straight through a small fly that had been on a nearby wall. Everyone flinched but Raven who only narrowed her eyes from beneath her cloak as she looked upon the one-eyed girl as she stood up from the table, taking in every detail she could, noticing the slight clench of her one hand.

"Well if you'll please excuse me..." Rose walked off again in the direction she had gone to shower, again leaving the Titans in confusion.

"Woah...this girl is nuts...remind me not to mention family again." For once, Beast Boy actually made sense...all of them easily realizing Slade and family was an extremely touchy subject with Rose.

"Yeah B.B...I really don't want to be on the sharp side of those blades of hers...I really don't think she's the type to hesitate to kill if she felt it necessary."

"She's not Cyborg...that's why we have to be careful. Rose is dangerous...very dangerous...trust me on this, but as I've said before...we need her."

"Yeah Raven, but does she need us?" Raven did not respond, did not want to confirm that the Titans were indeed expendable in the grand scheme of things to Rose because what could she possibly need from them that she probably couldn't get on her own. However, Rose's true and complete motives were still a complete mystery to them, and Raven doubted they would ever be truly revealed until absolutely necessary by Rose.

It was a few moments later that Rose appeared again, leaving both Cyborg and Beast Boy wide-eyed with the smallest bit of drool starting to fall from Beast Boy's mouth.

"So how do I look?" Rose stood in a pair of high heels, an extremely short white skirt, and a top that seemed to consist of nothing but a few randomly placed straps of cloth that miraculously held together covering her chest. She again slyly smiled directly at Beast Boy who could not take her eyes of the very attractive and very revealed girl.

"I'll take that as I look good Beast Boy...thank you for the compliment." Beast Boy managed to pull his eyes back into his head for a moment and mutter out that he didn't say anything.

"I know..." Rose stalked seductively up to Beast Boy leaning close to him. Raven felt her body tense up at the action, not liking Rose getting so close to Beast Boy because she knew Rose was a predator, enjoying the display of power she could so simply do to the rather weak willed Beast Boy, nothing truly emotional about what she did.

"But your reaction said it all..." Rose kissed Beast Boy on the cheek quickly, before giggling in a very non innocent and slightly disturbing manner.

"Well before I join you in this 'all consuming' quest to find your lost leader, I'm going out for the night. You can let yourselves out I imagine. Don't wait up." The giggling Rose bounced out of the building humming to herself and soon was completely gone.

"I repeat...that girl is completely nuts." Cyborg smacked his small companion in the back of the head.

"Pull it together B.B. You enjoyed that far too much. How about a little bit of professionalism." Beast Boy responded in a slightly high pitched voice.

"What? Um...no...I'm just ya know, making her think we're friendly to gain her trust...so she'll help us more with stuff and..."

"That's enough Beast Boy." Raven's stern voice cut off the green changling's confused ramblings.

"Cyborg is right Beast Boy. This is still nothing but a game to her, and like I said, she's dangerous despite how she's acting. She is in no way our ally or our friend in any sense of the word...she is hopefully a guide, and once we have Robin back, she will be nothing but a fading memory." Everyone nodded in agreement, Beast Boy doing his best to get his hormones more in control because even he knew that Rose was just toying with him to get a reaction out of him for her own amusement. He just didn't like that the fact didn't bother him more, but maybe he was just a little bit lonely and this was the first beautiful girl who had shown any interest in him since Terra...Terra...the name passed quietly through his mind. He really did miss her every moment of the day.

"Beast Boy." Again Raven's stern voice caught Beast Boy's attention immediately.

"Um yeah Raven?" Even under her cloak, Beast Boy could tell Raven was shaking her head in some type of disappointment or inability to 'get' him.

"I said we're going back for some rest. There's no point in staying here, and I get the feeling Rose will find us when she's ready to progress. Beast Boy nodded and quietly followed his friends out of the building toward the T-car.

--

It was only an hour later that the Titans were back at their current place of occupancy, a larger than usual hotel room on the other side of town. As always, Cyborg in his holographic disguise was the one used to book the room while the other Titans snuck in with the help of Raven's powers. They were always doing their best to remain unnoticed, but then again, Slade had so easily seen through Robin's Red X disguise, he would probably find them if he really wanted to. This place was bigger than what the Titans were used to, each one of them getting their own rooms for the first time in months, but it proved to be a good location for them while they search the surrounding areas.

The Titans had come back from their meeting with Rose weary and tired, and Beast Boy and Starfire had quietly gone to bed upon returning while Cyborg and Raven had remained up discussing plans of actions and of course Rose. It made Raven a little bit more confidant that her and Cyborg were both on the same page...to be as paranoid as possible and to not trust anything about Rose though both of them understood just how important her help was. Rose would undoubtably know her father...know something that could be the key to finding Slade, and once they found Slade...they would find Robin, and all this could finally be over.

Eventually Cyborg went to his room, plugging himself into the wall, his re-energizing taking a long time because of the available power sources but thankfully, he really hadn't been expanding that much energy as he normally did in normal Titan battles. Searching didn't use that much power.

Raven grimaced slightly...searching for Rose was over, but searching for Slade had just begun. It had only just begun. Raven slowly glided toward her room, remembering her time sleeping in Robin's room as she entered, slowly remembering the night she had spent by his side there before her father had come back. She truly wished she could experience a sleep like that again...Raven shook her head. She didn't wish...she couldn't wait to experience a moment like that, the smallest of private smiles allowed on her face as she sat on her bed, beginning to meditate.

--

Beast Boy was sleeping restlessly in his bed, images of Terra's final moments still at the surface of his mind from before, and his eyes finally opened ridding himself of the images if only temporary. Of course he was awoken by a breeze coming from a nearby window which he had known to be closed, locked, and covered before going to bed. His mind started to register this when he noticed something else...a heavy lump next to him that he couldn't understand how he didn't notice before. He turned his head to find the surprise of a lifetime...Rose laying on her side, her head propped up as she leaned on her arm, smiling eerily at him. Beast Boy went to yelp, but a delicate hand covered his mouth as Rose's voice spoke to him

"Shhh...don't make a sound...I don't think you want anyone else to know I'm here because then I'd have to leave...and I just know you won't want that." Beast Boy found himself in a state of shock as Rose gracefully began to move, positioning herself so that she was straddling his lap, and Beast Boy quickly realized she was still in her clothes that she had gone out in, her bare legs easily felt by his own body.

"See..isn't that better...oh...I bet your getting excited." Beast Boy tried to sit up, his instincts telling him to get out of this unexpected situation despite other parts of his more basic instincts telling him to do the opposite. He tried to move Rose off of him only for his arms to be pinned down on the bed by surprising strength from Rose as her face now just hovered above his own, her smile one of pure amusement at his struggles which only seemed to excite her more.

"How nice...you really are a cute one aren't you? Don't you want to play with me?" Rose seemed to pout for a second before a dark smile crossed her face as she harshly kissed Beast Boy on the lips, him continuing to struggle, his brain not understanding the concept that he could transform into any number of animals to easily get out of this. Rose moved against him, and Beast Boy couldn't help but moan slightly which elicited another strange smile from Rose as she pulled back slightly.

"See...you do want to play with me...hehehe...and I like to play so very much..." Beast Boy found his resistances slowly melting away to the beautiful, sexually charged woman on top of him but thankfully, someone came to his 'rescue'

"Get off of him now." Beast Boy easily recognized the voice of Raven and most especially the tone, one in which she was barely suppressing her rage...a tone that told him not to mess with her though Rose did not seem to register it. She sat up slowly still straddling Beast Boy, flipping her hair out of her face looking over her shoulder at Raven standing menacingly in the doorway.

"Care to join us Rae? A black talon of energy shot out of Raven's hand, clasping tightly around Rose who seemed not to care at all, only laughing insanely.

"I guess that's a no." Raven floated forward, holding tightly around Rose's body.

"Beast Boy...leave us." The changling knew to get the hell out of there and ran out of the room as Raven waved her other hand to close the door with dark energy.

"Calm down Rae...you really don't want to hurt me do you?"

"Stop calling me Rae."

"No." Raven seethed with anger as she did her best not to tighten the large talon around Rose.

"What are you doing here?" Rose laughed again.

"I didn't find anyone up to my standards tonight so I decided to pay a house call to green boy. Is something wrong with that?" Raven was now only a few feet in front of Rose.

"Stay away from him."

"Oh alright Rae. I'll stay away from him. I mean there always is Starfire, and there is the chance she would be a little more receptive to my advances if you know what I mean." Raven growled.

"You will stay away from all of my friends...do you hear me! All of them or else I will..."

"What? Kill me? I don't think so Rae. Despite being demonspawn, you don't have it in you, so don't make your pathetic little threats against me. I'll do what I want when I want, and if you want my help, there's not a damn thing you can do about it. Have I made myself clear?" Rose's voice became serious and slightly sinister as she spoke, her voice no longer sounding carefree and sing-songy, and for a moment, Raven saw Slade in front of her and not Rose. Raven let go of her powers, releasing Rose who smiled as she mock dusted herself off, then moved her clothes back into their proper place.

"Now that's better...but you did ruin my fun tonight so you'll have to make it up to me with more fun. Meet me at my place in about an hour...main floor where you first saw me...I think you'll understand when you get there." Rose mock bowed to Raven before backflipping on to the edge of the window, smiling once more, her slightly crazed cackling fading away with her into the night. Raven stood there for a few seconds before disappearing into the shadows, relenting all of her power, finally allowing the door of the room to fall down from the force of Cyborg banging against it to get in. He found no one inside, and of course, during the whole thing, Starfire slept like a rock without disturbance.


	34. would still draw blood with its thorns

A/N: Wait...what's this? Two updates in one day? Three in two days? Is that possible? Damn right it is...and who to thank for this...not me of course. Thank my three loyal reviewers **ravenslair, evilsangel, **and **Val-Creative** whose kind words and consideration have gotten me off my butt for at least one day to do some writing so I guess I need to be thanking them too don't I? The world may never know...so yeah, anything that doesn't make sense in this chapter will be covered in the next one...maybe...probably...99 percent chance...that Rose...she's once crazy bit...that's it...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 34: ...would still draw blood with its thorns

By: Finalitylife

Raven stood on the rooftop of Rose's building, the wind brush gently past her as she stood there. She could feel Rose in the building beneath her...just barely as she really didn't have much of a presence to her that Raven could pick up. She had felt just enough to know that she had 'invaded' the Titans resting place...to know that she had gone after Beast Boy in her own way. Raven would not allow such a travesty to be inflicted on one of her friends and had stopped it. However, now she found herself in her own problem, knowing that there was not a whole lot she could do. She needed to appease Rose to ensure her cooperation, and Raven only could thank every fathomable higher being she had ever know that what Rose wasn't what she had wanted from Beast Boy...it was something else. Rose said she would know when she got there.

Raven formed into her soul self, sinking into the ground slowly, soon appearing on the main floor where she had been told to come, a voice instantly speaking to her.

"Its about time you got here. I was getting so very bored." Raven's eyes narrowed at the white haired woman, who was lying on her stomach with her feet kicking impatiently in the air, dressed in her combat clothes as she scratched unknown designs into the ground like a child using colored chalk on the ground. She rolled to her feet effortlessly, a dagger clutched in each hand.

"I really don't like being bored Rae." Raven's eyes narrowed even more from underneath her cloak.

"Stop calling me Rae." Her voice was rather emotionless, but her anger at everything from the past hour or so was still clearly evident.

"Alright Bitch...is that better?" Raven growled as Rose laughed as she circled Raven.

"Hehe...I think you can be plenty of fun for me...shall we see? Hehe...that rhymes..." Rose flashed forward, one of her blades coming down in a downward slash which Raven blocked with her dark energy, only to have to fall back as the single slash turned into many, lightning quick attacks, one of them finally getting through her defenses cutting her an her upper right arm. Raven instinctively grabbed where she was cut as Rose stepped back.

"Got ya...I just love sparring don't you?"

"This is sparring? You're trying to kill me!"

"Yeah...yeah I am, but the best training always comes from life and death situations...maybe you should try harder." Again Rose flew forward, only this time Raven was more than ready. Rose jumped into the air, coming down with another slash and Raven didn't even move. At the last second, a dome of solid black energy came out of Raven, slamming into the airborn girl, sending her flying back though she rolled with the impact immediately coming back to her feet.

"See that's better...I want a real fight with the demon bitch who destroyed then saved the universe...let's see what you got." Raven's eyes flashed red for a second.

"If that's what you want, then you'll have it!" Dozens of black tendrils of energy shot out of Raven, each one slashing, grabbing, and slamming at Rose who did everything in her power to dodge each attack from every seemingly possible angle. Raven was amazed how easily Rose made it look, but of course one could not forget Rose was able to see glimpses into the future which gave her an incredible defensive advantage. However, Raven only increased the number of attacking tendrils finally one making contact, slashing Rose across the face on her cheek drawing a thin line of blood.

"That's the spirit Rae...hehe...its been a long time since anyone was able to cut me." The blood began to trickle down Rose's face and her tongue darted out, catching the drop.

"Mmm...hehehe..I highly doubt you'll be able to land another one Rae...me on the other hand..." Suddenly, both of Rose's daggers were flying at Raven, her eyes widening at the sudden attack, one blade coming high at her head and the other at her mid-section. She managed to duck the first blade just barely and at the last second activated a shield to stop the second one, it bouncing harmlessly off the black energy. However, Raven had no time to regain herself as a viscous punch impacted against her jaw sending her falling back, her mind rattled from the impact.

Raven fell back on her back, her vision hazy, and her concentration blurry. Rose grabbed her blades from the ground and walked over toward Raven who was still on the ground trying to get herself together. Rose smiled as she walked over, kicking Raven in the side causing the dark girl to roll with the impact a few times before once again landing on her back.

"Raven...Raven...Raven...I really thought someone of your caliber would provide a better fight, but I guess I was wrong. No wonder my father has caused you so many problems...you're weak, you're pathetic, and sadly..." Rose dropped to her knees with one knee on either side of Raven's body her daggers held just above her prone form.

"I don't work with people like you...what a shame you weren't more fun...I'm sure Robin would have be plenty of more fun...maybe I'll still find out Rae. I will promise you though, I'll make him want everything from me before I cut him apart." Raven's eyes burned with fury as she reached back and slammed her fist into the side of Rose's face. No demonic rage...no magic...just Raven's fist and her desire to wipe that smile off of Rose's face. Rose took the punch rather well though it caused her to sway for a few seconds.

"Seriously...I did not see that one coming...that's unusual..." Raven growled as she shot a black talon straight into Rose carrying her straight into the ceiling which was three stories up into the air. Rose slammed into the ceiling, dropping both of her daggers from the impact, them hitting the floor loudly around Raven though she did not seem to care. She held Rose there applying more pressure, causing Rose to indent further into the ceiling.

"You will never hurt him Rose! Never!" Despite her pain and current situation, Rose still smiled, her mocking voice strained but still there.

"Somebody's in love...hehehe...and here I thought you would be dying a virg..." Raven screamed in rage which was what Rose had wanted. Raven pulled back for just a second, allowing Rose to grab a hidden dagger, hurling it at Raven, it stabbing right into her shoulder. Raven's power released her, only for Rose to start falling.

"Oh shit...bad idea..." Rose barely managed to avoid the fall by catching hold of the second floor balcony, which from there, was a drop she could handle. Meanwhile Raven was in immense, blinding pain, as she pulled out the dagger, immediately using her healing power on the wound, though could only provide a small bit of relief before Rose's voice alerted her.

"Ah so you can heal yourself...tricky, tricky...I guess I can't allow you the time to do that." Rose attacked forward, going for a spin kick at Raven's face which she managed to avoid by falling to the ground, creating a shield against a follow up punch, her eyes meeting Rose's one eye.

"You don't stand a chance Rae...worthless..." Raven defiantly held her shield against a barrage of punches and kicks though each one weakened her.

No...I will not lose to some white-haired whore with extreme Father issues!" Rose snarled at that comment.

"Bitch!" Her next punch got through slamming into Raven's gut, knocking the breath out of her, something she did not have the chance to get back as Rose locked her arm across Raven's throat from behind.

"You don't know anything about me! You don't know what I endured!" Raven did her best to break the hold, but it was tight...her air quickly leaving her. She knew she had only one chance.

"I'll kill you...kill you...kill you! Hehehehe...you're going to die...you're going to die." Rose chanted those words over and over again in her eerily childish sounding voice, never once breaking her hold, locking her legs with Raven so she couldn't move in the slightest. It was of course at that moment that Rose noticed it...the black energy on the wood floor, the creeks and cracks that were emanating from below them. Rose laughed once more.

"Tricky...Tricky," The floor gave out beneath the two, the two young women falling into the basement. Raven used the last bit of her power she could draw upon to move her body so that she was just above Rose. When the impact came, Rose met the ground with a heavy thud with all of Raven's weight driving her into it. Raven had no idea if her plan had worked for she blacked out a few seconds later.

--

He stood along the beach of the tower, the sun warming his body as the breeze soothed his soul...a moment of perfect peace that so quickly was disturbed by another's voice yet still his own.

"You're losing Robin just as I said you would, but the best part is that you know losing really isn't that bad...giving in has given you power and strength, you can not deny this." Robin turned his head to find his apprentice form standing in front of him with his arms crossed across his armored chest with absolutely no readable expression on his face.

"No...I won't give in...I'm not giving in...I can't..." The apprentice only shook his head.

"You will...you are...you can...you've already progressed so far, and there is not much farther to go..."

"Leave me alone! I don't want this! I've never wanted this. I want to go home...I want my friends back...I want Raven back!"

"That is all gone Robin...forever gone. There is no going back."

"No!" Another voice echoed the landscape, powerful and full of emotions Robin had not been around in so long." Black energy surrounded the apprentice fully, and his body was suddenly hurled out into the ocean landscape, far away from Robin, taking his dark words with it.

Now in front of him was no longer the menacing visage of himself, but rather the beautiful and smiling form of Raven, with nothing but kindness and love in her eyes.

"Hello Robin." Her voice...he had almost forgotten what it sounded like.

"Raven..." Raven walked forward as if she wasn't even touching the ground.

"I've come for you Robin...to take you away from all of this. I've missed you Robin so very much."

"I though you were gone...thought you had abandoned me..." Robin's words were cut off by Raven's lips pressing softly against his own.

"You know I would never leave you Robin...know that you are everything to me. I have always been with you no matter what and that will never change." She smiled one of her so rare and perfect smiles again, and Robin could do nothing but wrap his arms around her so tightly as if she was the only thing left for him to hold on to in this world, as if he let go she would disappear forever.

"Thank you Raven...thank you..." Her touch...he could never forget her touch.

"I love you Robin." He could feel her love.

"I love you too Raven," and just like that, Robin woke up.

A dream...nothing but a fleeting dream...the first Robin could remember having in so very long...only a dream...but not a nightmare. He smiled as he continued to lay on his rough, uncomfortable cot at the visions that were still in his head, pushing far away all his misery, confusion, and pain of his present. Raven...she always made everything so clear for him...put to rest all his doubts and questions. Raven was the answer...Raven's love was the answer...she was still out there, trying to save him. She would never leave him...

A few seconds later, Slade's voice was booming from the intercom system of the complex.

"Apprentice...come to the main room...there is something that I think you would like to see." Robin rose at the command as the magical darkness within 'compelled' him to do though even that could not completely push away his dream-filled dream.

He walked down the dark corridor, his steps feeling just a little bit wider though he maintained complete composure as he entered into Slade's main room, the clicking and grinding of gears above everything, working in perfect unison for some unknown purpose. Absolute precision and perfection...just how Slade liked things. Slade sat at his large, metal throne, the glare of the dozens of television monitors in front of him providing almost all the light to the throne, making Slade easily visible in the dark.

"You know, you really shouldn't sit so close to the t.v. It will ruin your eyesight, and you especially can't afford that." Slade laughed in amusement.

"Ah thank you for coming my apprentice. It would seem you still have that sense of humor of yours, but that's quite irrelevant for the moment. You see there is something I would like to show you..." Slade pushed one of the various buttons in front of him, all the screens turning to exactly the same image, and Robin had no trouble seeing what each of them showed with his now beyond perfect vision.

He instantly recognized the room despite it being dark in there...his room...his room at the tower. How did Slade have this? He must have hacked the tower's security...Cyborg must have really become lax since he had been gone...a potentially disastrous mistake. However, that thought was quickly flung from Robin's mind when he saw the sight in front of him...it was Speedy, sitting on HIS bed, in HIS room, in HIS home holding a woman tightly in his arms...a woman who was so easy recognizable in her complete physically uniqueness as well as her total familiarity. It was Raven.

There was no sound to the video, which Robin had he been thinking clearly at the moment would have realized was because the cameras in each of the Titans rooms (with the exception of Raven's who refused to allow any security camera in her room) did not have audio but Robin was nowhere even close to thinking clearly at the moment. He watched with barely controlled pure rage as Speedy and Raven's faces moved closer, the video blurring for a few seconds, then returning to the image of Speedy oh so carefully laying Raven down on the bed, his hands clenching even tighter cutting off any blood flow there though Robin just didn't care. The tape cut off a moment later, Slade turning in his chair to look upon his apprentice with a smirk on his face under his mask, loving every moment of this.

"Does this displease you my apprentice?"


	35. The Pain a Father Can Bring

A/N: Well here's another chapter...not sure if its any good but this chapter and the next one are kind of slowish...setting the stage for I guess the final plot arc of the entire story. Keep in mind that just because something happened in the last chapter, doesn't mean something in this one can't happen at the same time even though it's the next chapter...time is a bit jumbled because of the two places the story is taking place at the same time. It should all make sense I hope...Well there you go...and I can almost guarantee there won't be another chapter for a bunch of days...free time is now gone for a bit and I just don't see myself using the time I have to write...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 35: The Pain a Father Can Bring

By: Finalitylife

Raven felt like she was floating in nothingness, wondering if she had died from the fight with Rose and the fall into the basement, a very real possibility in Raven's mind, but to be honest, she didn't feel like she was dead, but rather dreaming. The world around her suddenly came into focus, the very familiar landscape of the beach around the island Titan's Tower sat on coming into view. Everything seemed so real, the sight, the sounds, the feel of the relaxing bay breeze...a place Raven felt she could just sit down and lose herself in her mediation, however something else caught her attention.

Before her was the sight she had so desired to see more than anything in this world...the one she sought so hard to find...it was Robin...her Robin. However, standing next to him was the abomination that was the apprentice, the being Slade hoped to twist Robin into. She could hear his terrible words, could tell they were cutting deeply into Robin, and Raven could feel her rage building up inside her. She would not allow this to continue.

Her power sprang to life and with a scream she grabbed hold of the apprentice, and throw him far away from Robin toward the horizon, just as she had once done to Slade when he had attacked her friends in what seemed so long ago.

"Bastard..." Raven muttered it under her breath, unsure if she was talking about Slade or the apprentice. This thought though was quickly lost when her eyes again settled on Robin staring at her, her heart speeding up rapidly as she smiled at the young man she loved so much...he seemed so real to her.

Raven wasn't sure what came over her, maybe she knew this was only a dream and wanted to at least make the most of it, but soon she found her words comforting Robin, her lips pressed tightly against his, and Robin's arms wrapped so tightly around her that she truly felt lost in the warmth and love of it all. She smiled as she buried her head in his chest, basking in his touch, she could never forget his touch no matter what happened, quietly whispering 'I love you' to him over and over again, and just like that Raven was woken up by cold water splashing her in face.

Raven shot up from the sudden watery chill, realizing quickly that the movement was a terrible mistake as pain started coursing through her side, her shoulder, well pretty much everywhere. Her head was pounding, and her vision was blurry, but she was alive that much she was certain A small part of her, however, wished she had died, and she could have forever lived in that moment with Robin in her dreams but that was a selfish dream because if she was dead, she wouldn't be able to save Robin from Slade.

As Raven's vision cleared, she found the last person next to Slade and her father that she wanted to see in front of her. Rose was standing there, a bucket next to her that had probably once held water, a cocky smirk on her face.

"Wakey, Wakey Raevy...your friends should be here soon enough, so its best you pull it together. You wouldn't want them to worry now would you." Raven noticed that despite her demeanor, Rose was indeed injured. Her white hair on her right side of her head was red from blood, her one hand holding her side at her ribs, while it was clear she was leaning her weight on to a single leg. Raven smiled with some satisfaction in her mind though realizing that she was indeed in great trouble. Raven barely could move, and Rose, despite injured, was already on her feet. This was not good. Raven was shocked when Rose extended her hand to Raven, offering to help her to her feet. She eyed her with total suspicion.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to take your hand? You just tried to kill me." Rose smiled.

"Yeah...yeah I did, but if I really wanted you dead Rae I would have broken your neck while you were unconscious and left your corpse to rot in this fate infested dump so the fact that I didn't should tell you something." Raven glared harshly.

"That you really are insane?" Rose laughed loudly before abruptly cutting off her laugher, her face becoming serious, her one eye narrowing darkly.

"Don't call me crazy..." That was all she said but Raven knew the threat and couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable underneath the intense gaze.

"So are you gonna take my hand or just sit there on the ground dirtying up your lovely, blue cloak?" Raven remained motionless.

"Why did you try to seduce Beast Boy? Why did you try to kill me? I want answers..." Raven's voice came out low, again suppressing her spikes of anger. Rose only shook her head.

"I already told you back at your place. I went to Beast Boy for a little action. He is such a cute, innocent young man isn't he...I could have had so much fun making him a man over and over again...hehehe, but you had to ruin all that. I bet Beast Boy is pissed you messed that up for him. I mean I am completely a once in a lifetime opportunity." Raven glared, disgusted by Rose and her twisted thoughts.

"As for trying to kill you? Like I said, I was bored and needed to burn off my built up aggression so I decided a good spar would be in order, and let me tell you, you did not disappoint. Hell of a right hook you got...never expected it from someone as small and dainty looking as you."

"You tried to kill me for fun?" Raven's voice was filled with outrage.

"That's how I learned to train Rae...fight all out or you'll never get stronger. I'm sure you can understand that, but also, the fight was a test for you, for me to find out if you truly were someone who I felt could help me in finding and confronting my father, someone with the strength and motivation to finish the search. Oh by the way Rae, congratulations, you passed!" Rose clapped her hands together in front of herself bouncing slightly with glee...a very Starfire like reaction and that thought again disturbed Raven.

"Only a test?" Rose nodded eagerly.

"Oh yeah...you know as well as I do that my father is not someone to go lightly against and I truly had to make sure you four weren't just a bunch of kids searching blindly for their lost leader, so I decided to test their new leader...you Raven, and you gave me the best fight I've had in years. I can really feel the burn..." Rose arched her back eliciting a few pops from her back, followed by a satisfying ahh of relief.

"If it makes you feel better, I am sorry you had to get beat like that, but in my life, you either gain my respect, or you don't exist in my life. You've gained my respect blackbird, so for now, we are allies." Again Rose extended her hand to help Raven to her feet.

"Just take my hand...like I said your friends will be here soon, and I prefer that they see us both upstairs so that they don't overreact to the giant hole you made in the floor. Honestly, remind me not to have you over for a party...hehehe..." Raven eyed Rose and could feel a truthfulness from all of her words no matter how demented the logic was. She reached out and took grip of Rose's hand, and Rose pulled her forcefully to her feet. Raven didn't even have time to react, as the second she was up, lips were pressed hard against her own, Raven trying to protest and pull back but the strong grip held her there, her words muffled by the kiss.

Finally it ended, Raven finally pushing Rose off of her with disgust. Rose stood there smiling strangely, looking like she was thinking about something intensely.

"Hmm...ya know, Beast Boy is much better...sorry Rae Rae...hehehe..." Rose turned around and started skipping toward a nearby stairwell, Raven amazed at how quickly she seemed to recover, as if she didn't feel the pain anymore. Raven wiped her lips as if they burned, but decided maybe it was a good time to get some information..

"Why do you hate your father?" The question echoed in the basement, and Rose's movements suddenly stopped dead and cold, her aura instantly going from one of carefree happiness to one of darkness.

"You know why the Titans are searching him out, know why we hate him so much, but what truly is your motivation...why do you seek him out...why do you hate him Rose?"

"What makes you think I hate him?"

"Do not think me stupid Rose...it is obvious you loathe him, and though I can think of plenty of reasons why you could hate him, I want to know your reason for hating him. Why Rose?" Rose snapped around, her one eye burning with rage yet at the same time tears forming there and a wicked grin on her face. She looked crazed, and at the moment, Raven realized that maybe asking about Slade in her current situation was not the best idea. However, Rose did not make any aggressive movement toward her, only standing there, her shoulder hunched slightly.

"That bastard...only cared about himself...always about himself and his goals. I know he killed my mother, and it was his insane demands and training that drove my two brothers to their deaths...killed them...killed them too.. He took them all from me...and me, nothing but an experiment to him...nothng...nothing...he left me like I was a nothing...nothing...all alone...so very alone...I hate him...hate him...hate him." Rose kept whispering the same words over and over again as she stared at the ground, seething with pain and anger, her fists clenched tightly, and Raven could feel everything coming from her, her mental barriers completely let down in the utter chaos that was her mind...far more chaotic than any other she had encountered, almost as if there were several different people all vying for power there. What a twisted girl...so very sad...

Raven walked forward stopping next to the girl, not touching her or looking at her, but saying a few words.

"He'll pay as he should for everyone he's hurt in his quest for power and control. He will not escape...I promise that." With that, Raven limped up the stairs, her one hand glowing at her side beginning the healing of her battered body, sensing that the other Titans had just arrived. Rose remained in her prone position, her body slightly shaking, a single tear continuing its downward quest down her cheek.

"I hate you...hate you..." Slowly her mouth formed into a malicious smile as she straightened her stance into one of strength, not of one of a crying little girl.

"I'll kill you father...but I'll make sure first I kill your precious little apprentice...prove to you that you I am strong...that you should have never abandoned me." Rose spun around, humming to herself as she bounced up the stairs, to go greet her new allies. Tomorrow they would travel to the last place she had seen her father...he always did like to use old haunts...

--

Raven continued up the stairs, her body already feeling better from her own healing touch despite her mind not concentrating on the task at hand. Rose...such a tragic figure it would seem, not all that different from her it would seem...fathers truly have a way of destroying a child's life. Raven couldn't help but pity the crazed young woman who had not that long ago tried to kill her in some sick, twisted game. It was Slade who made her this way, just as he was trying to make Robin into a monster who would mirror his own evil...she could not allow that to happen.

Just as Raven had told Rose, Slade would indeed pay for everything he had done to all of them. Robin would be back by all their sides, and they all could return to their homes to be happy again, and Raven couldn't help but think that maybe they could help Rose too. It was a blatantly optimistic thought, something completely foreign to Raven, a thought more inclined to prance through the head of the bubbly alien princess from Tamaran, and truth be told, Raven believed that helping Rose was probably far beyond any of their abilities. Slade had truly done a number on that poor girl.

Raven finally made it back to the main floor, noticing the hole she had made to save her life. It had been a desperate, yet well thought out plan in her final possible moments...Robin would have been proud of her.

It was at that moment the other three Titans came barreling through the door, ready for anything, only to find a large hole in the ground, a weary and bruised Raven standing there looking at them, and a smiling and bloody Rose hopping up the stairs waving at them

"Alright...would someone please just please tell me what the hell is going on here?"

"Its nothing Cyborg. Rose and I had a spar that got out of hand. No one's seriously hurt." Cyborg shook his head.

"That really doesn't explain anything Raven. I mean we've been racing all the way across town since Rose showed up at the hotel, and we get here, it looks like a war was raged, and you can barely stand up. Something doesn't add up." Raven let out deep breath.

"Trust me Cyborg...please...everything is fine. Just leave it alone." Cyborg looked upon the small girl, realizing she had said please, and Raven wasn't one of those people who often even came close to sounding like she was begging...at especially in front of strangers He would give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Alright then...do you need any help then Raven? You don't look so good." Raven smiled a very small smile.

"I'll be fine Cyborg or have you forgotten I can heal myself." Cyborg smiled back.

"Didn't forget...just wanted to make sure." Raven nodded.

"Hey...isn't anyone going to ask if I'm alright?" Everyone looked toward Rose who had her hands on her hips, pouting slightly like a child who needed attention that they weren't getting. Beast Boy was the one to speak.

"Um...you okay Rose?" She smiled at him.

"Of course Beast Boy...thank you for asking. You are such a gentleman aren't you?" The green skinned changling managed to still blush though a strong part of him was terribly nervous around this girl, especially after what happened in his bedroom. In his mind, he couldn't forget Terra's face, and just felt guilt every time he looked at Rose.

The fact that Beast Boy was blushing and unable to look at her made Rose smile as she licked her lips slightly. He was so easy to her...so easy to play with.

"Well I hate to break up the party, but I think I'm going to go to sleep. It has been a long night. I'll see you tomorrow...don't worry when, because I'll know exactly when you'll show up before you do. G'night." Rose disappeared from view but not before giving Beast Boy one more glance. He barely noticed it lost in his thoughts.

Raven walked over toward her friends, still limping slightly though no one said anything about, Starfire having to hold back herself from asking if Raven wanted her to carry her. She knew Raven did not like being made to feel weak.

"Seriously Raven...that girl is nothing but trouble." Raven walked past Cyborg.

"You really don't need to remind me of that Cyborg...can we please go back...I need a long, hot shower..." The three Titans watched Raven continue walking out the door, before hurrying after her still wondering exactly what the HELL just happened back there.


	36. That Of No Value

A/N: This is a long one, but lots of good stuff in it I think. I really don't have anything of relevance to say...so enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 36: That Of No Value

By: Finalitylife

Rose had not disappointed, and had been completely ready for the Titans when they had arrived the next morning. She had been sitting on the ground in the middle of the room, smiling her usual smile, with a small bag next to her. She seemed overly eager to get this 'quest' going, a visible excitement in her eye as she laid eyes upon the Titans when they arrived, though had only greeted Beast Boy with any enthusiasm, only provoking a slight blush and nervous fidgeting from the green young man.

The Titans however in no way matched the mood of Rose, a sense of total seriousness within each of them as they knew that Rose's help would either bring them right to Robin or would simply prove that in all likely, they would never see Robin again...as one of their own. Everyone did their best not to think about such things. No one wanted to think about failure, and no one especially wanted to think about having to fight Robin again.

Raven hovered quietly a few inches from the ground, appearing as if her eyes were firmly locked on the bouncing form of Rose though only she knew a part of her mind was far, far away from the direct situation at hand. She had barely remembered sleeping last night, probably no more than an hour, but she had dreamed again...nothing she wanted to think about.

Raven was not one to trust in fate, not one to believe that the cosmo's would ever fully align for her benefit despite the final defeat of her father, yet she knew that she was putting her absolute faith in the possibility of fate providing her the situation she needed to rescue Robin. Truly Raven's biggest fear was not the possibility of not finding Robin, but rather that what she needed to happen actually happeninh so that Robin could be freed. It was an almost impossibility, but from all her research, she knew there was absolutely no other way. She was putting her trust into the cruel entity that was fate to provide a situation for her that was beyond terrifying to her, to perform an act that made her absolutely weak and sick to her stomach. Raven couldn't help but think that fate owed her, but never naive enough to believe that debt would ever be paid.

"So are we ready to take off? I want to get this roadtrip under way. Its going to be so much fun." Raven made a dismissive sound toward Rose which the girl completely ignored, her attention on Cyborg waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, I guess its time to get moving, though I think it would be in everyone's best interest if we actually knew where we were going."

"Oh not that far away. A few hours North of your home city. To be honest, it's the last place I saw my father at though that was several years ago...when I still was 'with' him." Rose's face darkened at her last words, though brightened up almost immediately.

"So can we go? Can we...can we can we?" Again Rose was bouncing up and down, her one hand lightly on Cyborg's arm, eagerness replaced by child-like enthusiasm as if this was a family, and they were going on vacation to an amusement park. Raven felt slightly sick again seeing this display as it truly looked like Rose was a six year old girl begging a father the way she spoke and interacted with Cyborg who had a look on his face that he wasn't sure what to exactly say or do. Raven shook her head slightly. Slade had truly warped this girl into something that really didn't seem to follow any type of reason. Again Raven couldn't help but think that the Titans might be able to help her, though at the same time she felt a barely tangible fear in her stomach every time she looked upon this white-haired girl. Raven knew it was always best to fear that which defied reason, and Rose was certainly good at doing that...unpredictable and seemingly illogical, though Raven knew there was probably so much more to this girl lying just underneath.

"Let's go Cyborg. We've wasted enough time here." Raven did not say anything else, spinning soundlessly in the air, floating toward the door leaving the Titans momentarily motionless though Rose instantly grabbed her bag and bounded after the dark empath with gleeful laughter.

--

The sun was shining, not a single cloud in the sky, and the T-car was filled with near crippling tension as it drove down the road. Of course things had been just as tense when Rose had called 'shotgun' right before leaving, drawing a standoff between her and Raven who had always sat in the passenger seat, something that had started long ago after she had made it explicitly clear she would NOT ever again sit in the backseat with Beast Boy. It also worked out that Cyborg preferred to more often that not keep Beast Boy away from the front seat where his curiosity always caused him to push buttons that shouldn't be pressed or beg to be able to drive. In the end, things settled in to the way they were, and when Rose had infringed on the status quo, Raven had not been too happy.

Rose didn't put up much of an argument, though still to this moment she was visibly pouting like she had been scolded for doing something bad, a slightly vacant look in her eye as she swung her feet back and forth sitting in between Starfire and Beast Boy who were both reluctant to say anything to the girl between them. Of course everyone was a bit reluctant to say anything to anyone which was the reason the tension remained.

The drive wouldn't be that far to the coordinates Rose had given to Cyborg, the Titans having already been close to Jump City when they had found Rose. The destination was a small mining town a few hours north of Jump City, and the Titans all felt like shivering when they thought about Slade, mines, and underground lairs, most especially Beast Boy. It only caused him to think more and more about Terra, and he really didn't want to at the moment. It just made him depressed, and less alert to what could be coming.

It was only a matter of time before Rose started perking up again which seemed to be directly connected to the fact that they were getting closer to their destination.

"Are we there yet?" Raven snapped her head around with a slight growl, clearly not wanting this game to start. Rose laughed.

"Oh I'm just kidding Rae-Rae. I'm not going to be THAT person." Raven let out a barely audible sigh of relief as she turned her head back toward the front of the car.

"And lets be honest, I'm the only one who actually knows where we're going. If I remember correctly, our destination is right over there near that mountain." Rose stood slightly and leaned forward pointing her finger at where she was talking about. She put her chest right in front of Beast Boy's face who had very little room to maneuver in his position to not look at what was right in front of him.

"Do you see it?" Beast Boy slowly nodded his head, his hormones taking a more obvious control of his mind, hat was in front of him far more important that looking off into the distance. Rose smiled as a bump hit, landing herself ever so conveniently into Beast Boy's lap.

"Oops...sorry about that Beast Boy. Hehehe...not all that sorry though, you are so very comfortable." Beast Boy felt his mouth go dry as once again he found Rose looking down upon him with sexuality radiating off of her. Again, Raven broke the strange trance she seemed to be able to put him in.

"Rose..." It was low, and almost growled out, but Raven made her demand rather clear. Rose turned to look at Raven, pouting again.

"Oh alright, I'll behave." She plopped herself back in her seat, starting to hum some tune, Beast Boy smiling at Raven slightly as a thank you. Raven worked to reign her frustration back in, something that had become constant with Rose. Raven knew that Rose enjoyed getting reactions out of people and more than likely all her 'playful' actions were to do just that. Rose had to make herself the center of attention, had to be noticed when she wanted to be...needed to be noticed...just signs of a daughter that had been neglected by her father as she grew up...been abandoned.

Again silence took over the atmosphere of the car, moving ever closer to the destination, a subtle nervousness taking over. This was it...the first time in months they were truly taking a step forward...they hoped.

Eventually, a small, rundown town came into view, cold, lifeless, and truly barren of any seemingly life, typical of mining towns where the mines had long ago run empty, no longer supporting the people of the town, leaving nothing but a broken shell of life, and the fading memories of dreams once dreamt. It was hard to tell truly if anyone even lived here anymore.

The town itself was not the destination, as the T-car passed quickly through the dead place toward the mountain that loomed above casting its shadow across the town. It simply added to the eeriness of the environment...a place that truly would be suited for Slade's tastes and purposes. The Titans knew they would have never looked to a place like this for the madman.

"Over there...there should still be an entrance there." Rose pointed, seriousness in her tone.

"I don't see anything." Beast Boy's words were mirrored within each of the Titan's head though not said.

"You're not supposed to see it. It's a secret hideout remember." Everyone nodded slightly as the T-car came to a slow stop on the rocky ground, far enough away from where Rose had pointed to not alert any security that might be active though the Titans knew if Slade was truly here, he would already know they were here. Any car passing through this area would seem strange and easily noticed, probably a reason Slade chose such a place.

There was a brief hesitation before everyone got out of the car, everyone gathering in a group with a slight uncertainty on what to do.

"So what's the plan Raven?"

"We need to be careful here. Whether Slade is here or not, this is still very dangerous. I think we should run some scans from here first to see if..."

"That will take too long. I think I have a better plan...direct approach is always more fun." Rose turned form the group and started running toward the side of the mountain, clearly sure where she was going.

"Crap...hey get back here! We need to do this carefully!" Cyborg's yell was not acknowledged by Rose who continued on her direction.

"Nothing but trouble..." grumbled Raven. "Let's follow her. At the very least, if she goes first, any traps will hit her and not us. And I imagine she knows the layout of this place. Just keep attention to everything." Everyone nodded.

The Titans made their way after Rose who seemed to be heading toward a very isolated and covered part of the mountain side that seemed to be forever in the dark. She stood there, moving her hand on a seemingly normal looking rock before a barely audible click was heard, revealing a slowly opening doorway in the mountainside. No one would have ever found that if they hadn't know it was there...well perhaps Robin, Raven thought because he always had a knack for finding things.

The Titans now stood quietly a few feet behind Rose who was completely immobile in front of the revealed doorway, not even movement of breathing. She just stood there, facing the darkness of the place beyond the doorway. Beast Boy was the one to speak.

"Rose? Are you okay?" A few seconds passed before Rose turned her head, and Raven saw the faintest trace of fear in her eye as she looked at them though it was covered up quickly.

"Fine...just waiting for you guys." Nothing else was said on the matter.

"I'll go in first. I know this place...there really shouldn't be any traps anywhere because my Father felt this place was hidden well enough to never be found. He believed it would be a waste of time and resources to booby trap this place heavily. Of course I could be wrong and the place could blow up the second we enter, but I imagine if I was truly in any danger, my powers would warn me of it. Hell of a survival mechanism." Rose's smile returned with her light mood, her somberness only moments ago truly now gone.

Rose turned back toward the opening and hesitated for just a brief second before entering. The Titans followed carefully a few seconds later.

"Man this place is dark. Cy...how about a little more light?" Cyborg answered Beast Boy's plea by turning on his shoulder mounted light, providing some illumination to the dark hallway. It was long, dark, and gently sloping down going farther into the ground, and the Titans followed Rose as she walked ahead, only glancing back occasionally.

"It's a bit of a ways down to the main compound. Maybe another 200 yards or so." The Titans followed, eventually coming to another door that seemed to be electronically locked. Rose punched in a numbered sequence into a small keypad and the door opened.

"My father isn't here." Everyone stopped for a second at Rose's slightly disappointed tone.

"How do you know that?"

"The code for this door was never changed. If he was still here, he would have changed it. My father would never be that careless. He's not here, and he doesn't value anything here still." Rose had a dark tone to her voice, with something truly unidentifiable there also. It was unnerving. However, the Titans were more concerned with the fact that Rose's logic that lead her to say what she said made perfect sense when it came to Slade. He wasn't here...they wouldn't find Robin today.

"We still need to look around. Slade may be good but he's still human...he can make mistakes. Maybe he left something here that could help us locate more of his bases, something to lead us to our next destination."

"Unlikely, but you're right, we should still look around." Everyone followed Rose through the next door, the area opening up into something more inclined to be one of Slade's hideouts with a wide open main area and various hallways and doors leading to other places.

"Cyborg...you, Starfire and Beast Boy search over that way...check the main computer over there. I'll go with Rose to the other side."

"You sure about that Raven?" Raven knew what Cyborg was truly asking wasn't if they really should split up, but rather, did she really want to be alone with Rose.

"Yeah I'm sure Cyborg. It will move things quicker."

"Aw thanks Rae-Rae. I'm flattered you'd pick me to walk around with." Raven did not take the bait, and simply brushed past Rose toward a nearby hallway.

"Let's go. I don't want to be here all day." Rose nodded, seemingly taking on Raven's seriousness as she followed.

--

Raven and Rose searched a few empty rooms that had once probably been used for storage, or housing of a sadistic madman's murderous mechanical army. Everything was now gone though...Slade wasn't here, and Raven felt a bit of anger inside of her wanting to bubble to the surface. Anger at not finding Slade, anger at the futility of everything they were doing, and anger at herself for failing Robin once again. Rose seemed to sense this and didn't bait Raven into any argument, almost not saying anything at all.

The two young women came to another door, this one different in that it was also electronically locked. Rose punched in another code and the door opened, a decent amount of light still on in this room. This place had power still though Raven didn't really know where it was coming from. What Raven immediately noticed about this room before even entering was the smell of it...blood was in the air as well as a few other smells she associated with the Titans infirmary or a hospital. It was not a smell that Raven liked at all, cringing slightly as the stale air hit her in the face.

Raven slowly stepped into the room, though Rose did not seem to follow right away. There were various machines around the room though none of them were on, and in the middle of the room was a hospital bed that had blood stains on it along with a table of menacing, blood stained surgical tools. Seeing them gave Raven a sick feeling in her stomach, brief flashes of an eyeless Robin in her head.

"What happened here?" Raven asked the question softly to herself, not really expecting an answer though she did receive one.

"Slade performed an experimental procedure to replace a person's normal eyes with cybernetic implants to enhance their vision greatly. On one of the rare instances, Slade botched the experiment, though in no way did he care. This was merely a test to fine tune the procedure so if it failed, he didn't truly care. The 'test subject' however lost her right eye in the process with no successful replacement leaving her with only one functioning eye. Slade deemed this an acceptable loss as the test subject was no longer of relevance to him. She was soon after left for dead on the streets of a nearby city, abandoned like a piece of trash."

Raven found herself holding her breath as Rose's detached, almost robotic tone of voice told her this information, talking as if what happened, hadn't happened to her, almost like she was simply reading a news article in the paper. She had called Slade by his name rather than father...never saying father as she spoke, and the complete lack of any identifiable emotion was far more unsettling than if she had been angry, or hateful, or at least upset. It was terribly unnatural. Raven slowly found her breathing again, and turned to look at Rose who had disappeared from the room without Raven having noticed. Of course she couldn't blame her for not wanting to be in this room...horrifying memories indeed.

It was then that Raven noticed the smallest of blinking lights across the room on a television monitor. It appeared to be the only light on any of the machines active. Raven floated over toward the monitor, pushing a button and the television came to life, the chilling visage of Slade staring back at her, and Raven barely stopped herself from flinching back at his sudden appearance. Soon Slade's smooth voice was heard as he began speaking, though it was also noticed that there was a young girl screaming in the background of this recording, a familiar voice screaming in terrible pain and almost madness.

"The experiment though I hate to admit it was a failure, but I have learned enough from the surgery to be able to be successful next time I perform it. It was an acceptable failure, nothing of value lost in the process. The test subject has lost the use of its right eye, only furthering its uselessness to me."

Slade could be seen turning slightly, allowing whatever was recording to see a younger version of Rose sitting on the ground, her one hand covering her right eye socket as blood continued to seep out despite her trying to stop it. Her normally white pristine hair was bloody as well, her body convulsing as she screamed in pain, a nearly animalistic quality to her screams as her other hand thrashed around in front of her, screaming barely understandable for her father to help her. Slade did not seem to be concerned at all by this. He turned back toward the recording device with no emotion in his eye.

"The unpredictability of the test subject's power continues to make it worthless to me as it still is unable to summon it at will nor all the time. It is a total failure in almost all regards, and I will rid myself of its unnecessary presence soon enough. I would be more bothered by the failure of it had I not expected it from the beginning, this one far inferior to my two sons who also were failures. However, I do not think I will kill it...it would be a waste of a bullet I think."

Raven felt herself clenching her fists in rage as Slade's horrible words continued. This man...this thing...how could he do that to his own daughter! Nothing but a test subject, referring to her as it rather than daughter, Rose or even she. Showing no concern as she lied on the floor bleeding begging for his help. It was at this moment that Raven truly knew she could kill Slade, and probably not hesitate...he was not a man...he was only a monster that needed to be stopped.

"Tomorrow I prepare the arduous process of move my operations from this place to Jump City. Establishing a new base will take time, but it will be worth it I think. I've discovered a potential new subject, and I believe this one is very special despite having no powers. I believe I have found the one I have been searching for...the one who can truly follow in my footsteps. I just need to show him what his true potential is." Rose's screams continued as Raven could tell Slade was smiling underneath his mask at that moment, as the scream turned itself off as there was no more recording.

So that was when Slade came to Jump City and started his quest for Robin...that was how it all began. And Rose...the poor girl...the poor girl. Raven truly felt like crying for her just as she wanted to cry for Robin, but she kept her emotions in check. Crying would accomplish nothing...defeating Slade would.

One of Raven's most horrifying thoughts was that she knew why Slade had left this one recording to be found here despite taking everything else. He left it to be found by Rose, a final insult to the person he didn't even truly see as a human...Slade would pay...how a human being could truly be such a cruel bastard was almost beyond Raven's understanding, and she tended to understand everything. Raven's communicator came to life, Cyborg asking her to come back to the main room. Raven turned and floated out of the room, not being able to move fast enough to get away from this horrible place. She would not tell Rose about the recording.

--

Meanwhile Rose walked quietly farther down the hallway, complete familiarity with this place...this was her home...this was where she spent a majority of her life growing up...this is where her father...Rose stopped herself from her thoughts. She didn't want to think about it. Rose finally came to her destination, stopping at a metal door she knew all too well. She opened it up and stepped in, a rush of so many emotions hitting her instantly as she saw her room...her room. The place was barely distinguishable as the room of a young girl, Slade having felt anything that wasn't absolutely necessary would not be given to her, but it had been her room, and the only place she ever truly felt safe when she lived here...as everyone she ever cared about 'left' her just like her mother had after she had been born.

She walked slowly over toward her bed and sat down on the harsh mattress, truly wanting to just curl up in a ball, but an object on the bed drew all her attention. It was a small teddy bear, an object her brother Jericho had given to her in secret with clear instructions to never let their father know she had it. Rose whimpered slightly as she picked up the small bear, a tear rolling down her cheek as she hugged it tightly to her chest, for a moment, reverting to an 8 year old child alone in the world. Her brother's act of kindness...another tear rolled down her cheek...Rose feared that act of weakness is what inevitably doomed her brother in the eye of Slade...cost him his life. He was gone...all because of her...and him. Rose squeezed the bear even tighter, this place was her home...this place was her past...and as Rose had said before, there was nothing here that was any value to Slade...there was nothing...

--

Raven came back to the main room finding the other three Titans but not Rose. She wasn't exactly sure where she was at the moment though she doubted it truly was important. She would appear soon enough. Cyborg had a grim look on his face.

"Did you find anything?" Cyborg shook his head angrily.

"Absolutely nothing. The whole system has been wiped clean, and there's no backups or anything. This was nothing but a waste of time. There's absolutely nothing here...no proof Slade or anybody ever was here." Raven felt her shoulders sag slightly. Nothing...there was nothing.

"And here I thought Rose actually knew what she was doing. She's just leading us to another dead end. Dammit! I thought we had something this time. We haven't gotten anywhere." Raven nodded thought kept completely quiet, a dull pain in her heart that once again her hopes had been high only to have nothing to show for it. It was becoming harder and harder to deal with it all.

"Don't worry Cyborg. I'm sure Rose has more information for us. Let's not lose hope yet." Even Raven struggled to believe the validity of her words. It was at this moment that a very downcasted Rose came in to the room, immediately gaining everyone's attention. She looked down at the ground, not looking at any of them.

"Sorry I disappeared Raven. There was something I had to look at." Her voice was empty as she continued walking, still not looking up, and Raven realized she was just going to walk right past all of them. Raven grabbed her arm carefully to stop her, and that's when it happened. Raven felt something flow through her at the contact and quickly broke the contact falling back a few steps away from Rose, and Rose's head snapped up with a strange look on her face, but most startling was the fact her one eye had turned completely white.

"What the?" Raven was the one to figure it out.

"I think its her powers...I think she's having a vision." Beast Boy rushed over catching Rose before she could fall over, holding her as she shook for a few seconds before her body relaxed. Her one eye returned to normal and focused on Beast Boy. Rose smiled as she raised her slightly shaky hand and gently caressed Beast Boy's cheek which caused him to blush.

"Thank you..." It was soft, kind and genuine and Beast Boy despite being nervous couldn't help but smile.

"Um...you're welcome." Beast Boy slowly helped Rose to her feet, her movements still shaky.

"Did you just have a vision Rose?" Rose nodded.

"Oh yeah...I only rarely get ones like that...one's where I'm just hit out of nowhere with something that doesn't directly involve me. Its like when you touched me Raven, I was suddenly connected to someone else, but not you." Raven felt her heart skip slightly at the reality that somehow Rose had entered in to the remnants of her and Robin's bond. What had she seen?.

"It must beRobin...what did you see... please tell us what you have seen?" Starfire voiced everyone's thoughts, her voice soft and pleading.

"Alright...just give me a second." Rose took a deep breath, clearly processing what she had seen.

"I get the impression that its something that will happen very soon. Slade...he was sending his apprentice out...on his first mission...but I get the feeling it was something Robin chose to do...he's going after someone...he wants to hurt someone... but I don't know who...its all very vague but there's anger, a lot of anger on Robin's face" Everyone listened intently, trying to make sense of it.

"What did Slade do to him? What did Slade twist him into? He is going to pay...he is so going to pay for this." Cyborg's fist slammed into the wall, denting the metal easily with his frustration while Raven stood there quietly contemplating.

"Rose...you know how your father's mind works...what type of mission would he truly allow Robin to venture out on for his first." Rose took a second to think.

"Well for one, my father would never let him out until he was sure he was almost completely ready. The first mission would be a final test...to see if Robin could truly hurt someone that was once on his side." Rose's voice seemed to quiver slightly though none of the Titans knew why, unaware that she again was thinking about her brother, and how he had been unable to hurt her when he had been ordered to.

"Now I don't think it would be any of you...Slade wouldn't take the chance, despite all the power and control he holds, wouldn't take the chance that his closest friends would be able to reach him somehow or know of someway to break the magic that binds him. No...he wouldn't make that mistake again. It would be someone close but not too close...someone skilled but not too powerful...someone Robin would consider a rival...someone Robin would want to test his training and strength against..."

The Titans thought about the words carefully, but one word had rung like a warning bell in Raven's head the second she heard it...rival...

"I know who he's going after..." Everyone turned toward Raven who looked very unnerved, something that only set everyone else on edge except for Rose who seemed to be calming down and becoming her usual self.

"How far are we from Jump City?"

"Um about four hours...why Raven...what's going on?"

"We have to get moving now!" Everyone immediately reacted to the raise in Raven's normally neutral voice, chasing after her as she flew back toward the surface.

"We need to get there as soon as we can."

"No problem Raven. Just leave that to me and my baby."

"How about you let me drive Mr. Cyborg?" Cyborg looked down at Rose with a look of complete shock on his face that anyone would dare as to drive his baby.

"And why the hell should I let you of all people drive my car?" Rose smiled a cocky smile.

"Because when your going as fast as we probably need to be going, it really helps to be able to see into the future...it's a great heads up on oncoming traffic." Beast Boy commented to Cyborg.

"She's got a point Cyborg." Cyborg went to argue, but really couldn't, even his cybernetics couldn't match up against that talent, and from the tone of Raven's voice, he knew just how urgent this all was. For Robin, he would even let someone drive his baby.

"You even scratch my baby, I'll hurt you."

"No you won't. You're one of the good guys." Rose doing her best to wink at Cyborg as she got into the drivers seat, leaving a slightly stunned Cyborg for a moment.

"Nothing but trouble..." The race was on to Jump City.

--

Three hours later, a happy tune was whistled casually yet flawlessly as the feet proceeded down the street, a bounce to his step, his bow hanging over his back. Speedy had met the most gorgeous girl tonight, blonde, blue eyes, curves in all the right places with the longest legs he had seen in awhile. He had saved her from a mugger, the guy had run screaming the second he had seen Speedy, obviously not the highest caliber of criminal.

Once the criminal had gone, Speedy had turned on the charm to the still frightened girl as she clung to his arm with never-ending gratitude and affection. A few choice words, some reassurance, and Speedy had yet another date for the weekend. He couldn't even really keep track of how many he had but this new girl...he might just have to cancel half of them to make more time for her...she was something special. Speedy could tell just by looking at her body.

He continued to whistle his happy tune completely oblivious to two glowing red cybernetic eyes watching him from underneath a very familiar mask on a very familiar face. The figure resisted the urge to growl upon seeing Speedy, refusing to make any sound or movement. Speedy would pay for what he did...him and Raven...Robin's hand began to shake slightly, Robin calming his warring emotions within the best he could. He needed to be in complete control...just as Slade had taught him...it would give him greater strength...for vengeance. The back of his mind told him to stop, but he just couldn't. Someone had to pay...had to...he had to...Robin slowly disappeared back into the shadows with a smile on his face.

Speedy continued his leisurely pace when suddenly he heard a young woman's scream from a nearby alleyway. Speedy smiled.

"She sounds hot...time to go to work." Speedy raced over toward the alleyway, grabbing a bow almost instantaneously notching one of his energy arrows. He raced with absolute confidence into the very dark alleyway, looking for any sign of movement not finding any. Another scream echoed from the very end of the alleyway, and Speedy moved farther in, making a startling discovery when he finally hit the dead end. Attached to the wall was a device that was artificially making the woman's scream...to draw him in.

"Ah crap..." Speedy with his keen senses could hear someone drop from high above to the ground a few feet behind him with a threatening aura, and Speedy immediately spun around letting loose his arrow dead on the target only for the arrow to be caught between the middle and index finger on the assailants right hand only inches from meetings it target with seemingly no effort at all. Speedy could only stare wide-eyed at the amazing feat considering how close they were but also because he recognized who was standing in front of him.

"Robin..."


	37. Truth Skewed

A/N: Sorry for the longer than usual delay...work. So do I make up for it with a great chapter? No...I had more trouble than you can imagine writing this chapter and truly don't like it, but it needed to get written so I could move on. In no way could it have lived up to what it should have been. Hopefully I'll make up for it on the next one. So forgiveness please. Oh yeah, passed my 400,000 word written with this chapter...that will probably be my last landmark.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 37: Truth Skewed

By: Finalitylife

"Speedy! Come in Speedy!" Raven's voice sounded as close to yelling and panicked as she would allow, doing her best not to lose control of the situation any further. However, the strain of it all could be seen barely within her eyes, though only to those who knew where to look.

"Cyborg...I can't get any signal."

"Dammit! Its being blocked somehow...the signal to our communicators is being jammed, and I'll give you only one guess as to who would know that exact signal to accomplish something like that." Robin's name came quietly off everyone's lips though none audible.

"I'll work on getting the signal through. It will be easier once we get a little bit closer, and the signal becomes stronger." Cyborg began punching in numbers furiously onto a keyboard that had come out of the dashboard of the T-car, working on the new problem. They had to warn Speedy, had to warn him that Robin was most likely coming after him and it wasn't to catch up on old times.

Starfire and Beast Boy sat in the back seat quietly with their hands folded in front of them looking down at the ground, unsure of what to say or do at this moment. Neither of them wanted to have to face Robin, especially if he had truly become what they feared he had. Of course they also were keeping their heads down because the speed and recklessness that they were traveling at was rather disturbing.

Rose drove the T-car with a smile of total ecstacy, well over a hundred and fifty miles per hour, weaving in and out of the on-going traffic and even the on-coming traffic when the situation warranted it. Her moves were precise and flawless, avoiding every obstacle even as traffic increased as they moved closer and closer to the city. She seemed completely oblivious to the winces on Cyborg's face every time it looked like something would hit his car as well as Raven's voice as it continued to plead in futility with the communicator to work so that Speedy could be warned. While the rest of the car was worried and frustrated, Rose was having the time of her life.

"Dammit all." Cyborg slammed his fist on the dashboard. "I still can't get through. We need to be in the city limits for my idea to work."

"Well then I guess we'll just have to get there faster won't we. I'm sure your car has some type of booster. I mean what superheroes car wouldn't." Cyborg smiled only slightly.

"Oh its got it...I just hope you can handle it." Rose smiled as she leaned her head side to side bringing out a crack each time she did it.

"Cyborg...I can handle anything." Cyborg ignored her gleeful laughter as he turned his head toward the other three Titans.

"Guys...buckle up and if you can do a little praying. This is gonna be crazy." Cyborg turned back toward Rose.

"Alright girl...here we go. Cyborg pushed a large, concealed red button and instantly the car shot forward at amazing speed. Rose smiled wider though her mind was a pinnacle of concentration as she tried to draw on her power, almost ghost-like images appearing before her on the road before the cars or objects would. Of course she couldn't help but think if this would be a good time to tell the Titans that her powers were unstable, and she couldn't always use them even when she wanted or needed to. The thought drifted away quickly as she swerved out of the way of a massive truck that blared its horn as they zoomed past.

--

The atmosphere in the alleyways was beyond tense, even Speedy feeling the smallest beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead, and Speedy was always cool, calm, and collected. Robin dressed completely in his apprentices uniform stood menacingly in front of him, still holding the arrow in between his fingers as if it was nothing but a toy. Speedy immediately noticed that Robin had grown to be slightly bigger than he was, but it was his 'aura', the feeling he got from him that had changed the most. Robin had always had an overly serious aura, but had always had a soft edge to those that knew him. However, the person standing in front of him radiated nothing but hostility and danger. This was not going to end well.

"How foolishly you came running into this alleyway my friend..." Friend was said with a cold, sinister sneer that almost made Speedy cringe.

"You just have to save women, just have to play hero...add another notch to your belt...so predictable." Speedy stood there, prepared for anything, his voice caught in his throat unable to form coherent words.

"Was it she who went to you or was it you who went to her...though I guess it does not really matter. In the end, you've all abandoned me." Speedy was now even more confused.

"She? Abandoned? You're not making any sense man."

"Lies...nothing but lies. I've seen the truth Roy...the Titans left me to suffer and Raven...she lies the most, ran so easily to your arms...did she tell you she loves you Roy...did she moan for you..."

"What the hell are you talking about? Man what the hell did Slade do to you...I'm going to kill that bastard."

"I imagine you have more concerns right now at the moment Roy..." With his final word echoing into the hallway, Robin shot forward at Speedy, the archer barely being able to deflect a powerful kick with his bow. However, the impact still caused him to be pushed back, realizing that Robin had indeed become stronger than he had been when they had fought during the competition set up by the Master of Games.

Robin's attacks came relentlessly, Speedy managing to just barely avoid most of them, though a few grazing hits were beginning to land, and Speedy still got the feeling that Robin was holding back. Of course Speedy also knew that being trapped in a dead-end alleyway was not exactly the best environment for an archer to fight in and realized he needed to get to the rooftops or at least more open space if he really would have a chance here.

Speedy allowed the next kick that was thrown to make a little more solid impact into his mid section which pushed him pack far enough to create distance between him and Robin. Instantly, Speedy had drawn an explosive arrow and fired it directly at Robin's feet and without hesitation had fired another grappling arrow up to the roof of the building above them. The arrow stuck, and Speedy was jerked up away from the explosion toward the roof, flipping on to it gracefully, grabbing for his communicator now that he had a moment. Speedy only found static when he tried to contact the rest of Titans East. This was not good. Speedy looked over the edge for Robin, finding only some smoldering garbage where he should have been.

"Really now Roy, you'll really have to do better than that if you hope to survive this fight." Speedy's eyes went wide underneath his mask and spun around as quickly as he could to the figure behind him, only receiving a solid punch to the jaw as his head turned, causing him to see stars for just a second. Speedy rolled with the impact, notching another energy arrow as he got to his feet, finding that Robin was not attacking, only standing there though no less menacing.

"Well now that you have more open space Roy, you shouldn't have any other excuses to why you lose. Let's be honest Roy...you can't beat me."

"Robin...Robin listen to me! You have to stop this. Slade screwed with your head. I'm your friend, not your enemy. Let me help you." A dark, cold laugh was Robin's response.

"Help me? Yes you've done a great job of helping me. Picking up random women of the city, living in my home, holding Raven in MY room, on MY bed...do I need to go on?" Speedy could almost feel his eyes bug out of his head. He'd only seen Raven once since the Titans had gone searching for Robin, and what Robin was saying...how had he seen that...how did he know?"

"I seriously don't know how you know what you know but you're just completely skewed on what's been going on. The Titans East and I have been protecting this city while your Titans have been searching for months for you without stop. And Raven? She is so completely and desperately in love with you...she's hurting without you man. Do you really think that she's the type of person to just completely forget about you and come running to m..." Speedy's words were cut off by his communicator coming to life, though only a gargled and staticy message could be heard.

"Speedy...shhhhh...its Raven...shhhh...coming to you right now...shhh..." Speedy could hear Robin growl as he understood the broken message would not be aiding him in explaining things to this obviously disturbed Robin in front of him.

"Aww crap." Speedy again only barely managed to avoid the vicious strike by Robin, jumping away while firing three energy arrows at Robin who managed to avoid two but a third hit him in the shoulder causing him to growl again though there was no other indication that he had been hit.

"She comes to you as we stand here this moment Roy. Will you still try to lie to me?"

"Robin...I'm not lying. This isn't what it appears like man. It isn't, I swear..."

"Indeed..." The attacks came again, and all Speedy could do was defend. It wasn't that he didn't want to fight back, but simply that Robin was just too fast. An explosive disk along with some smoke pellets landed at Speedy's feet as he hoped for a brief second to catch his breath, doing his best to dive out of the way of the exploding object. He managed to avoid the explosion, but soon found the roof covered in a blanket of smoke, obscuring his vision.

"Damn...where is he?" Speedy notched an arrow looking for some type of movement but only was greeted with Robin's voice from somewhere within the smoke.

"Its probably not a good thing for you Roy that I can still see you perfectly even with the smoke." Speedy felt a small bit of creeping panic as he could in no way figure out where the voice had come from.

"Well I guess its time to get a little bit desperate." Speedy smiled before firing arrow after arrow into the area in front of him, hoping to at least hit something or to flush Robin out. He could barely hear Robin's movements as he dodged the barrage and was in the process of drawing another arrow when Robin came charging at him from the smoke. Speedy barely had time to react, let alone notch the next arrow, acting completely on instinct as he dodged Robin's punch, it grazing right across his nose.

Speedy took the opportunity to lash out his bow at Robin's head who was slightly off balance, his former ally pulling back just barely as Speedy had though not fast enough as the edge of the bow caught Robin's mask ripping it from his face, causing Robin to only growl once more. Speedy however, found himself only able to stare in shock and horror, as the eyes that stared back at him were no longer blue like he knew them to have been, but instead were now cold, cybernetic, and lifelessly burning red in his direction.

"What the fu..." Robin screamed in rage as he attacked again, Speedy dodging back just barely from the punch, only to find that his balance was gone and that the edge of the building was the only thing on his other side. Speedy tried to regain his balance, but he quickly realized he would not. However, he was saved when Robin grabbed him by the front of the uniform, pulling him back. Speedy looked at Robin for a second who had an emotionless expression, ready to instinctively say thanks to one of his best friends but instead was met with a vicious elbow straight to the face, shattering his nose with a spray of blood.

Speedy completely lost vision and coherence from the impact, but instead of falling down, Robin held him there on his feet as Robin kicked down on Speedy's kneecap, creating a painful pop as Speedy's knee bent back in a way it was never meant to, ligaments and tendons tearing with ease. Speedy's scream was cut off with a headbutt, further rattling his mind, and finally Robin dropped him to the ground as blood continued to poor from his face.

"Pathetic Roy...absolutely pathetic." Roy tried to move, finding his eyesight refusing to straighten out as he gurgled up more blood on to the rooftop.

"Remember, you only brought this on yourself. You betrayed me, turned your back on me like those I considered family, and you will pay for it." Even in his current condition, Speedy realized he heard another voice, just barely but Speedy managed to hear it, Slade's voice speaking into Robin's ear.

"Good my apprentice...remember how they forgot about you...remember what you saw."

"Robin...stop...you need to stop." Robin laughed darkly at Speedy's weak protests.

"Not that long ago, I would have agreed with you Roy, but that was until I realized how easily people forget, how easily people turn against you...friends were nothing but an illusion...nothing but an illusion even after everything I did for them, after all I sacrificed for them...all for nothing." Robin placed his steel toed boot on Roy's destroyed knee, pressing down his weight, twisting his heel into the knee as he did, causing Speedy to scream more.

"And you Roy, you had to take her too...had to take Raven...she lied...she lied..."

"Robin...stop...stop please."

"I would never had thought you would be one to beg Roy...underneath all that bravado and arrogance, it seems you really just are like everyone else...so afraid to die...too bad Roy...too bad."

"Get away from him Robin." Robin's entire body tensed up immediately as the booming voice of Cyborg made a demand of him. He turned toward them, eyeing each of them with his cold, metallic gaze as everyone could look on in shock as they were presented with the reality they all knew to be. Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Raven felt their shoulders fall as their leader looked upon them with anger and hate, Raven's empath abilities causing her body to quiver ever so slightly from the massive amount of those emotions that were directed upon her. This was not the Robin they had wanted to find.

"Apprentice...this is not the fight I want for you at the moment. It is time to disappear." Robin nodded to the words coming electronically into an earpiece, reaching down to pick up Roy.

"Well I would love to catch up on old times, but I really must get going. See you sooner than later I'm sure." Robin tossed Speedy forward, his body landing in front of the four Titans, Cyborg bending down to check on his friend only to realize something else had been tossed with Speedy...a device with a blinking red light that Cyborg instantly knew what it was.

"Everyone get down!"

The Titans only had a moment to react as the red light on the disk blinked once more before a violent explosion rocked the roof, shaking the ground beneath them all. Cyborg covered Speedy's prone body with his own from the explosion as a few pieces of debris bounced off his back harmlessly. When the fire and smoke finally dissipated, there was no Robin left on the rooftop, but also...Raven was gone as well.

--

The dark figure ran across the rooftops, moving at an amazing pace as he leapt from one ledge to the next without any hesitation or break in speed. He landed nimbly on another rooftop only to finally stop as he felt a tingling within his mind spring to life, seconds before a black raven rose up from the rooftop, slowly morphing into a dark young woman in a blue cloak. Robin instantly went into a defensive stance as the young woman lowered her hood revealing her emotionless face.

"What are you doing here? Do you truly wish to fight that badly?" Robin caught a barely noticeable wince from Raven from his words as he continued to glare at her with fake eyes, noting the fact that she refused to meet his gaze...refused to look at what she and the rest of the Titans had allowed to happen to him.

"Well answer me or get out of my way. Or perhaps you really want to be beaten down, put you in the hospital right next to your precious Speedy." Raven still refused to look upon Robin's face.

"What has happened to you Robin? What did Slade do to you?" Robin laughed as Raven spoke quietly.

"What...you think you're innocent in all of this Raven? You and all the others abandoned me like I was nothing, left me to fend for myself, but still you betrayed me the worst. All your actions, all your proclamations of your feelings for me...everything...everything was only a lie...you betrayed me bitch..." Finally Raven looked up, determined, sad yet confused all the same.

"Robin...we didn't abandon you. All we've ever done is search for you since you were taken...we would never forget about you. We all care for you so very much, and I...I still love you Robin with every fiber of my being...this is the truth Robin...not what Slade has told you."

"I know you lie Raven...I have seen the truth with my own two eyes..." Robin tapped his finger on the side of his head right next to his eyes, emphasizing his point, and only further causing a deep sadness and pain to creep through out Raven as she stood face to face with a man she knew through and through yet was having difficulty recognizing...felt sick every time metal stared back at her rather than the most beautiful blue she had ever encountered.

"I won't give up on you Robin. I love you, and I will help you no matter what. I will show you the truth that you've lost" A whistle cut through the air grabbing Robin's attention while Raven realized this was the perfect opportunity to start quietly chanting magical words. Robin's gaze fell upon an attractive one-eyed, white haired girl sitting on the ledge of the rooftop as casually as possible with a smile on her face.

"So this is the one...some odd reason, I thought you'd be taller...though honestly, you are gorgeous my friend. How about we forget everything for a moment and go somewhere private? Might as well try to have a little bit of fun before all this comes to an end."

Robin couldn't help but feel like he knew this person though he was also positive he had never seen her before. It was just something so very familiar. Robin looked into her one eye, studying the cold and deadly stare that contradicted her flirtatious and friendly tone. Only a few more moments of looking into that eye and then the vague recognition became completely clear. Robin's realization however, was broken as Raven yelled out a final word and a black silhouette of herself burst from her body entering in to the surprised Robin who instantly gripped his head and started screaming.

Raven's body stood standing there though completely motionless, her eyes having turned black and empty. Robin fell to his knees as emotions flooded his mind, hundreds of different feelings and thoughts from Raven but also those of his friends during their time trying to find him. Scenes flashed like a blur through his mind, months of searching, Batman, the sadness and the pain, but never once did they give up hope, never once did they ever ponder giving up on him. Finally, the moment that had transpired between Raven and Speedy was made all too clear, and just like that, everything stopped.

The images and feelings disappeared, and Robin was Robin again, though his realities of what was real and what was false continued to clash within his dazed mind. He did not know what to believe, did not understand what was going on, let alone what he was doing. Slade's voice commanded him in his ear to return now, and the tendrils of dark magic that wrapped tightly around Robin's soul compelled him to move from his spot, running past the weary Raven and disappearing into the night. Robin was obeying the command though he had every intention of confronting Slade on a few matters every step consuming him more with guilt and regret for what he had just done to Speedy, what he had said to all of his friends. Someone would pay for all of this, even if that person had to be him.

Raven pulled her soul self back into her own body, her eyes immediately focusing upon the dark figure just barely seen running off into the night, her heart and mind screaming for him to come back though her voice remained silent. Soon after, Rose's near silent footsteps approached Raven behind announcing her presence with a curious hmm.

"Well that was rather interesting Rae-Rae. I mean you could have fought him initially as well as probably done more to ensure he didn't leave this place. Very strange if you ask me...what are you planning?" Raven did not look at Rose who was now standing next to her, only continuing to stare out into the night.

"I could ask the same of you Rose. Not once did you truly directly confront him. What is it that you are planning?" Rose giggled mischieviously.

"Oh I think this is all going to be so much fun Rae-Rae, secrets always create so much fun...don't you agree?"

"We're going back to the others. Speedy probably needs my help." With a swoosh of her cloak, Raven formed into her soul self, flying back toward where she could still feel her friends sadly noting that in no way could she feel any traces of Robin anymore. Rose stood there smiling for a few more moments, pulling out a small piece of electronics that had a moving red light on a small computer screen.

"Well I guess there is no rush to follow you just yet apprentice, and the Titans don't need to know just right now about this. I really am having too much fun with the Titans and Beast Boy to end it so quickly. Soon enough though, soon enough both you and Slade will see my smiling face again... right before I kill both of you."


	38. Giving Up Sight to See

A/N: It really seems like the end is almost there. I think this chapter makes it pretty clear, though I wonder how clear I make anything anymore. Sorry for the delay again, just been burnt out on pretty much everything. Thanks to those that reviewed as always cuz I know I always say it is appreciated, but really, it just is. Enjoy the chapter...hopefully its something...so be it...

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 38: Give Up Sight to See

By: Finalitylife

Raven was back in her own room, lying in what should have been comfort on her own bed, but the straining pain within the confines of her skull refused to give her that small bit of satisfaction. It truly felt as if her brain had long ago swelled beyond the restraints of its interior though only continued to try and break through the skeletal walls holding it in. Raven knew nothing would stop her unrelenting pain except time for she knew that the extreme mental anguish was not from exhaustion, using her powers to forcibly enter into Robin's mind, or the small bit of energy she had mustered to try and help heal Speedy.

It was from magical backlash, having incurred the wrath of the terrifying dark magic that twisted tightly on to Robin's soul as if it had a will of its own. Perhaps it did Raven wondered, attacked at her own soul when it felt its slowly increasing dominance over Robin was threatened by the dark young woman. The dark magic had done on number on her mind, making her almost temporary useless at the worst time when Speedy was badly hurt and when Robin was so close...so very close, though Raven knew it had not been the time she needed when she had seen him. Rose had been correct when she commented on Raven's less that complete opposing of Robin.

Raven knew something...actually it would be better to say she chose to believe in something that Rose, being correct about Robin going after Speedy from her vision, only confirmed to more likely be fact than fiction. Raven knew something...something she would never tell her friends. When Rose had somehow had a vision of Robin upon touching Raven, more than likely because of the lingering connection between Raven and Robin still, Raven had a vision as well...somehow seeing that which was to come...that which see needed to see.

Fate had never been truly kind to Raven though even she knew that in the darkest hours of her life, somehow fate always seemed to grant her truly what she needed...though only after great suffering. Her bitter loneliness and rejection all her life was ended the day she met Robin all those years ago. Her nightmarish life as the harbinger of the end finally came to an end after eighteen years of being a portal to the greatest evil the Universe had ever known...again thanks to Robin. Now finally, fate had shown her the future, shown her a single event that was so improbable of ever occurring in the first place that Raven knew from the moment she had discovered those words in her books, that all the Titans searching would still prove useless as the true opportunity to save Robin would simply never happen. This is the future she had been gifted to see if only for a moment...it would allow her to do what she needed to do.

It was one of the most hopeful scenes Raven had ever seen and perhaps a scene even more frightening than confronting her father for she knew exactly how it would end if it went exactly as she intended. Knowing the future, Raven could now manipulate what was to come by the strength of her mind and will...as long as she was strong enough.

Raven sat up in bed, using the tiniest bit of energy to pull a very specific book off her shelf bringing it to her. She opened the aged tome to an exact page, her fingers trembling slightly from pain in her mind rather than the words that she knew were in there. She had accepted them as they were...undeniable and true. It was the action that still caused her to waiver.

Raven scanned the symbols with hazy eyes, not really reading them for even if she had her eyes closed , she would know exactly what it said, loosely translated within her own mind.

_Dark magic of such magnitude and power can not be fought with the powers of light for the magic has bound itself with the soul itself. To eradicate the magic of evil with light at this point would only annihilate the darkness of the soul itself as well. Destruction would be absolute for the bearer of the dark curse for no being's soul is of absolute purity...an absolute in itself._

Raven let out a labored sigh as her mind began pounding heavily again, causing her to fall on to her back with the book still in her lap. She knew the greatest power she had ever achieved, the power that had defeated Trigon, would be useless now even if she could figure out some way to achieve that 'transcended' level again. It would only serve to purify Robin completely out of existence, and Raven would not allow that to happen...she knew what she would allow to happen as she fought back the urge to scream in silence.

Raven did not sit back up, allowing the pain to settle down just a bit, still reading the next chilling words of the book in her mind.

_However, black magic can be fought creatively though almost never broken with black magic itself though never does the twisted darkness_ _not take something in return...never is there a fair trade...the ultimate absolute of the evil magic of the Universe. _

Raven felt her whole body go cold, knowing exactly where these words led her too. Used with other information she had gathered from her ancient books of power, used along side the path Raven had refused to give in to since the day of her birth, used with the consequences she knew would come, Raven had found her answer.

Raven knew that it was simply time to wait, the vision she had shown her the opportunity would come for the briefest of moments to enact her plan. Rose would be the catalyst of it all, whatever little plan the daughter of Slade had would be what led her to this end. Raven knew this truth in her mind as well as her heart...another end would come soon enough.

A soft knocking at Raven's door thankfully became a distraction from the tragic truths of her mind, and Raven could just barely sense Starfire there, her powers slowly becoming coherent again to distinctly feel the alien princess.

"Raven...are you awake?"

"What is it Starfire?" Raven's voice was quiet though remained stronger than it had been when they first made it back to the tower with an unconscious Speedy, having been knocked out when his head slammed into the ground when Robin had tossed him.

"Cyborg requests that you come to the infirmary. He needs just a small bit of your healing touch again if you are up to it?" Raven closed her eyes and let out the softest of sighs. She had to go to Speedy...she owed him. It was her fault that Robin ever was forced to go to Slade's side in the beginning. It was also her fault she knew from the visions she saw in Robin's mind why he had hurt Speedy...the fuel for his anger and hatred distinctly coming from her actions of weakness and vulnerability. Everything was her fault she was beginning to truly understand...all her fault...Robin would truly never forgive her once all the cards had been played on the table.

"I'm coming Starfire. Just give me a few more moments."

"Okay Raven...I shall go back to the main room. Aqualad, Mas, and Menos are still very upset...upset at Robin. I still must keep them calm." Raven nodded as she felt Starfire leave the doorway. That had been another problem when they had come back to the tower with Speedy hurt...once it had been known who had done it. The other three male Titans East members had instantly thought of revenge, but thankfully Starfire proved a soothing presence for each of them...kept them calm for at least the moment. It was best Robin did not become a target...he already had been twisted into believing his friends were against him...that she had betrayed him in the most despicable and cold hearted ways.

She cursed Slade once more, she cursed herself once more, and more than anything, she cursed the choices she had to make because this time it wasn't forced upon her because of some undeniable destiny, but rather were her own choice by her own will, and would forever break the future that had seemed so perfect for only the briefest of moments as she ran to Robin's arms after defeating Trigon. For only the briefest of moments...inevitably to be forgotten to the relentless winds of time.

--

A weary Raven made her way down to the infirmary, really not even having the desire to float, choosing to walk instead. Soon enough the doors to the infirmary opened before her, revealing several worried faces and one barely noticeable smirk, a smirk that told Raven 'I know something you don't know' without giving a hint as to the answer. Of course Raven knew something as well, and that would remain her final secret if it had to be.

"How is he Cyborg?" Raven's voice sounded weaker than she wanted, feeling uncomfortable with all the room's eyes on her.

"Well he's still unconscious for the moment, but not in all that great of shape. You really couldn't do much for his broken nose and definitely not enough for his knee...busted up really bad. Two torn tendons, a dislocated knee, and all kinds of ruptures...I doubt you can do anything really for him there. He won't be jumping from any rooftops any time soon." Raven rubbed her temples ever so slightly in annoyance.

"Then why did you call for me?"

"He still has a little internal bleeding in his chest, and I was hoping you could at least stop that."

"I believe I can at least do that." Cyborg nodded as Raven slowly approached the bedside of Robin's injured rival. His black mask was gone for the moment though his eyes were closed, a steady breathing. Again Raven felt a stab of guilt for his pain, knowing she was the root of it happening. Her hand rose and hovered just above his chest, a soft glow surrounding her hand. After only about thirty seconds, the glow faded, and Raven stumbled back slightly in weariness. Cyborg raised some tool over Speedy's chest with a frown on his face.

"Are you sure that's all you can do Raven?"

"Yes." Cyborg winced as Raven snapped at him, an immediate look of regret on her face though a small smile from Cyborg told her it was okay, apologizing for pushing on her after everything that had happened. She did her best to smile back but just didn't have the energy, doing her best to gracefully sit down in a nearby chair.

Raven continued to rub her head as she scanned the room, her eyes giving a soft look to Bumble Bee on the other side of the room who was just short of frantic after seeing Speedy brought back to the tower. The explanation of what had happened had not done anything to ease her emotions, especially when she was informed of who Rose was exactly. It had shocked the young woman and instantly made her very nervous despite Raven doing her best to assure her it was okay though it had not really worked as Bumble Bee could sense that Raven didn't believe her own words.

Raven's eyes moved from Bumble Bee to the other side of the room, feeling her eyes instinctively form into slits as she looked upon Rose leaning against the wall in her usual, casual way. Rose wasn't doing or saying anything, but she still had that damn smirk on her face that just made Raven want to scream.

Raven just couldn't figure out what was going through the mysterious young woman's head though often, Raven really didn't want to know what was going on in her twisted mind. It was probably a very dangerous place to venture...the truth that was Rose, and though Raven had at one point pondered the possibility of helping Rose, she now had come to grips with the reality that she would probably just never have the opportunity to even try...just not something she saw within her future.

As Raven looked closer upon Rose who no longer seemed to be looking at her, she noticed when Rose's one eye glanced ever so carefully at Beast Boy who was standing next to her, the smirk disappeared in an almost guarded way as emotions...what Raven could only describe as real emotions passed through her eye.

This strange infatuation with Beast Boy worried Raven because the young changling did not need another woman around him who would only betray and hurt him. Though she knew Beast Boy still loved Terra, he had been greatly hurt by her, and though Raven knew nothing that serious was going on at this moment for Beast Boy, it was best nothing ever started. Beast Boy didn't deserve to have to suffer again, and Raven would be damned if she at least couldn't spare her 'little' brother any further suffering. If everyone else she cared about seemed to have to suffer because of her, at least maybe she could do this.

In the back of her mind, Raven knew she was probably needlessly being hard on herself, pulling all the blame on herself just because it made things so much simpler, but sadly she was content to sink deeper into pity and depression. Perhaps if there were no good emotions left to deal with, everything in the end would go smoother. It was a rare moment where Raven almost wished she could digress back to the emotionally detached and cold girl she had once been...before the Titans had given her acceptance and family...before Robin had shown to herself she was capable of feeling something as beautiful and warm as love...and receiving it in return. She almost wished she hadn't become who she had, but in the end, she couldn't be happier for everything that had been granted to her since she had first encountered Robin, and no matter what would come, every second would always be cherished forever in her heart.

"I think he's waking up." Cyborg's controlled yell gathered everyone around, pulling Raven's attention from her mind. Rose did not seem to have must interest in Speedy's sudden consciousness, only scooting forward with the rest of the group. They watched as Speedy's body began to move, his slowly opening maskless eyes clear though slightly dazed.. His eyes finally opened with a slight groan, though he appeared to be more relaxed than one would expect from waking up in this situation, but in reality, Speedy was usually calm.

"Oh man, I feel like I got hit by a truck or something. Robin used to be tough, but now...seriously, that guy is...woah...whose the white-haired babe? Please tell me she's my nurse. Guys really, you shouldn't have..." Bumble Bee cut her teammate off, clearly already annoyed at Speedy's womanizing and inappropriate behavior. She probably would have hit him had he not been in a hospital bed.

"Roy stop being an idiot. Her name is Rose. She's here to help. She's...she is Slade's daughter." Bumble Bee's final words were said very tentatively, and Roy's eyes widened only slightly before he actually reacted in his usual, slightly juvenile way.

"Aww man...why do all the hot ones got to be crazy..." The words barely got off his lips when faster than anyone could see, a dagger was pointed less than an inch from his throat.

"Don't ever call me crazy." In no way was this Rose asking, the fierceness radiating off her as she spoke felt by everyone in the room. All Speedy could do was nod slowly, being very careful not to nod too much because of the dagger at his throat. No one even dared breath as they watched the scene, though Raven could see just barely out of the corner of her eye Bumble Bee slowly moving her hands toward her weapons at her side. If she did...Raven needed to stop this before it got worse. If Speedy got hurt again, it would be her fault again. Rose was her responsibility in this place. Thankfully though, Rose retracted her blade and quickly spun around leaving a very stunned room, a few seconds passed before Beast Boy chasing after her calling her name.

"Man...that girl is crazy."

"Shut up Speedy...you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about." Speedy smiled as Raven glared at him.

"Well last time I saw you, I think I knew what I was talking about." Raven glared even harsher as she stood up.

"Yeah and that little scene between you and I almost got you killed tonight Speedy so how about you do everyone a favor, and don't say anything. It might actually keep you alive..."

Raven stormed out of the room down the same path that Rose and Beast Boy had left, though her direction was right back to her room to meditate as she could already feel her anger boiling higher, and her headache coming back in full force to the point she could actually feel her head pounding with every heartbeat. This was all she could do...for the moment at least.

--

"Rose! Hey Rose...please stop." Beast Boy's pleas finally seemed to get through to the angry and possibly dangerous girl though Beast Boy could not stop himself. He just felt so back for her at this moment, had seen the deep pain on her face from what Speedy had said. The pain...it reminded him so much of her...

"What! Here to yell at me for yelling at your little friend. Well you know what I'm not sorry. He's an ass, and I probably should have just ripped out his damn throat for what he said to me. He wouldn't be the first." Beast Boy only stared at the enraged girl as she screamed loudly in his face though he could tell she really wasn't doing it in a threatening manner, just burning out her aggression.

"Well! Say something!"

"Well...um...I'm sorry about back there. He shouldn't have said that to you...what he said wasn't true." Rose blinked slightly before her face settled into a blank expression.

"So all of it wasn't true...even when he said I was hot...it was all lies?" Beast Boy was highly unsettled by the blank expression on Rose's face, preferring it if she had some expression instead, though he knew he needed to help her somehow...that she was hurting inside, and he could somehow help.

"So you're telling me I'm ugly...that no man could want me, that I'm nothing...a complete nothing." The eerie calm voice of Rose was beginning to scare Beast Boy as she took a step forward though his feet remained firmly planted on the ground despite wanting to move. He knew that Rose was no longer talking to him...but rather ghosts of her past. That much he could understand despite not truly understanding the girl in front of him.

"Say something dammit!" Again Beast Boy could not find his voice as Rose went instantly from calm to angry again, though this time he could see a very deep sadness in her eye.

"Say something...just please, say something..." Beast Boy was beyond shocked as Rose pulled another emotional one-eighty when the girl threw herself at Beast Boy, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Please...please at least tell me I'm not crazy...please tell me I'm not a freak...just please...please tell me I'm beautiful..." Beast Boy hugged Rose in closer as it almost felt like she was beginning to cry, his kind heart unable to let this girl go as she suffered so.

"You are beautiful Rose...one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. That was the one thing Speedy said that was true...I mean you're a total hottie."

Beast Boy laughed nervously, doing his best to lighten the tense mood, his usual defense when in situations he was uncertain in...like what he used to do with Terra. The sparkling blue eyes and golden hair flashed through his mind as he found himself staring into Rose's eye as she whispered thank you to him over and over again. It was Terra's face in his mind when his lips were met desperately by Rose's, and Terra and sadness continued to linger heavily on his thoughts as the two stumbled awkwardly into a nearby guest room as if his own body had a will of its own, and in the end when all clothes were gone and Beast Boy truly wasn't sure what was real or only a dream, it had been Terra's name he had moaned...it had been her love he could never forget.

--

An unseen, unbelievably fast moving object tore through the night, the latest cloaking technology making it completely invisible to the human eye, only the smallest bit of a blur seen by the bending light around the object as it sped its way south of Jump City. No average human being would have ever been able to move successfully at the speed at which Robin drove the bike gifted to him by his 'master', but then again thanks to Slade, Robin wasn't completely human anymore. He wasn't sure what he was anymore.

Blurry and distorted images flashed through his mind, those that lingered the most from Raven's invasion of his mind on the rooftops of Jump City continued to confuse him. What was real...what was a lie...what to believe was perhaps not in the black or the white ends of the spectrum, but rather within the unending chaotic mess of gray that blurred all lines of reality...if this was even reality anymore and not just some twisted nightmare.

The landscape zooming past Robin signaled to him that he was approaching his 'home', a small waterfront city a few hours south of Jump City. Just the right distance away from Jump City where no one would ever think to look, but just close enough for Slade to keep tabs on the home of the Titans. It was nothing special or out of the ordinary and that perhaps was why it would never be found...a genius idea on the part of Slade Robin had to admit.

Robin finally came to a stop within the vast warehouse district of the city where a person could search years in and find absolutely nothing but more boxes and more rats, a secret entrance opening up allowing him entrance without even slowly down, coming to harsh stop once inside. He jumped off the bike, determined to find out just how much of his reality was in fact true, and he would start with Slade...the boogeyman of his life.

Unaware to Robin, a small tracking device disintegrated off him as he stood on an elevator descending underground. The device was set to destroy itself the second he stood within the same vicinity for longer than two minutes, destroying itself at undoubtably his final location to ensure it would not be found to warn anyone. Of course, Robin nor Slade would not know this, though Slade probably would have figured it out had he not been distracted by an irrate apprentice.

The dark human being sat upon his steely throne, his dozens of monitors replaying his apprentice's encounter with Speedy as well as the Titans, his smile underneath his mask larger than it probably had been in years as he watched Robin take apart Speedy, taunting him, attacking him mentally as well as physically. It had not ended the way Slade had wanted it too, but there would be other times. Slade's current concerns were ensuring that damn witch had not done anything to Robin's mind. It had taken him months to gain almost complete control over Robin, and he did not want all that ruined by a few seconds of interference from some demon whore.

A single monitor directly in front of Slade's eye was stopped on a single scene, where just barely within the shadows, long white hair could just barely be seen. Slade knew exactly who it was, and he admitted to himself that it was simply of absolutely no consequence. At most it would provide him some entertainment, and perhaps some finality in a failed chapter of his life.

Hearing the smallest hint of something passing through the air, Slade turned in his chair to catch a punch aimed directly at his head, stopping the fist in what seemed to be an effortless motion, though Slade even had to admit to himself once upon a time this had been much easier. His apprentice had indeed progressed.

"Well doesn't this bring back memories my apprentice. Not very original, but only again confirms just how far you've come. Good job my boy." Slade pushed the fist back, Robin backflipping away landing in a slight crouch staring at Slade with malice on his face.

"You tricked me you bastard. You lied and you manipulated me into hurting my friends." A mocking laugh of disbelief echoed the endless room that was this.

"You can't truly believe this my boy. What falsehoods did that witch implant in your head I wonder." Slade pushed a button on a keyboard in front of him, and I familiar video starting playing, the one of Raven and Speedy.

"If you recall my apprentice, this was all I showed you, nothing more. It was your idea to go after Speedy. You came to me demanding the mission, begging me to let you go after him. I did nothing else Robin. This was you...this was what you wanted deep within yourself. Do not deny the truth."

"No! It...it can't...its not me...I...I...don't..."

"Don't what Robin. You know you enjoyed what you did to Speedy tonight. You know you would have killed him had it not been for those worthless Titans timely intervention. Tonight was the truest expression of yourself you have ever allowed, and I must say you have me impressed."

Robin clutched his head in his hands, various truths all colliding together within his jumbled mind to bring nothing but more confusion, and when Robin was truly confused, truly had no idea what was going on, he allowed his anger and frustration to take over just as he always did, and the fight was on.

Slade expected the attack, seeing the boiling anger unleashed form this apprentice. Slade had learned to read Robin exceptionally, knowing exactly what he was thinking and what he would do. Slade had not been lying when he had told Robin that he would have killed Speedy had he had the chance just as Slade knew Robin had every intention of killing Slade at this moment. Slade would allow him to blow off some steam, but he would remind Robin who was in control.

Slade couldn't help but be disappointed in Robin as the fight continued, knowing that Robin had yet to master his emotions as he should have. This was all the witches fault for Slade knew Robin had been much farther along when he had left his place...it would take time to undo what she had did. She was Slade's only true threat to finally bringing his perfect apprentice into existence...she would have to be dealt with soon enough he imagined...personally dealt with if it actually came down to it.

Slade dodged another punch, this one grazing his mask and finally, Slade's patience reached its limit, and he swiftly punched Robin in the face before demanding the fight to an end.

"Stop apprentice!" Robin's body seized up in mid-kick, overwhelming pain ripping into his soul as the evil energy cursed upon him by Slade wrapped itself tighter and tighter around his soul like a snake suffocating its prey. He screamed as he fell to his knees, his strength and resistance sapping away. However, a vision of Raven accompanied with the emotions she had forced into his mind forced him to press forward against it all, fighting back to standing position.

"No! I won't let you...won't let you..." Every word was labored out, sweat forming on Robins face as he struggled against what seemed to be crushing weight pushing down on him. Slade only smiled.

"You won't do anything Robin. I told you when all this started that one way or another, I will have my perfect apprentice, and as I said, I would prefer it willingly but if you insist...Kneel before your master! This is an order!" Slade's booming voice physically ripped through Robin's body, blinding pain from his very core shooting out to every part of his body as if his nerves were being ignited by Hellfire itself. An inhuman scream emanated from Robin's mouth as unholy whispers spoke within his own mind, commanding him to obey. There was no other choice.

An outline of black energy sprang to life for the briefest of seconds around Robin, before fading back within in, leaving a motionless and completely calm apprentice, kneeling on one knee, head bowed before his master.

"What is your wish?" Slade smiled briefly. He had not wanted it to come to this, but he had no choice. If anyone was to blame, it had been Raven's fault for this being his option. He knew the dark magic had not consumed Robin completely, but Slade knew it would be awhile before Robin would ever dare oppose him again, and truly time was all Slade needed.

Slade however, did wonder what would be the true consequences of tonight's actions. He knew there was an outside chance the Titans would somehow find his base though it was highly unlikely. For once, Slade was not completely sure of what a situation would bring, and he hated to admit that. He perhaps had been too eager to test his apprentice, that he might have made another mistake. Slade shook his head, cursing silently. He would have to abandon this base he was almost positive though that would take time. Because of his...his death at the hands of Terra, Slade was still lacking plenty of resources he normally had at his disposal so it would be at least a day before he could leave this place safely. That would be more than enough time Slade was sure.

Slade looked down at his apprentice who continued to obediently await his orders, body completely rigid. Time was all he would truly need.

"You can go rest my apprentice, but be prepared for anything. Understood?"

"Yes...my master."


	39. And Soon Enough, It Will End

A/N: Two more I think...perhaps three...and then, you won't have to put up with me anymore. Kind of an irrelevant, short chapter here...a final transition and good to go after that. Enjoy if you can...though I doubt it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 39: And Soon Enough, It Will End.

By: Finalitylife

Beast Boy could feel himself waking up, though he really didn't want to. If he woke up...if he left the dream-like state he knew he had been in, he knew he would have to deal with everything that he was feeling. He felt good, and yet he absolutely hated himself at this moment for what he had done. He had...had...why for once could it not have been nothing but a satisfying dream.

He turned over slightly in the bed, realizing quickly that there was not another body in it with him though he knew there had been. His eyes opened in the dim light of the room, slowly focusing on the lithe figure standing bathed in the light from the slowly rising sun, not an article of clothes on her perfect, naked body. Beast Boy found himself blushing still at the sight still even considering that he had already seen her entire body...considering what he had done to her body.

Rose did not seem to notice his awareness, instead continued to stare out the window for a few seconds, before reaching down and pulling her pants on. It was at this moment that Rose turned her head, an almost sad smile on her face that upon seeing Beast Boy's eyes upon her, tried to turn upwards into more of a jovial smile though could not.

"Rose?" Beast Boy sat up in the bed, leaning against the headboard with the sheets up to his waist, looking upon the white-haired girl with confusion and worry, enough of each feeling to not even be fixated on the fact Rose still wasn't wearing a top.

"I'm sorry." The words came her mouth as nothing but a breath of a whisper, though Beast Boy's keen hearing allowed him to hear it easily.

"About what Rose?"

"About a lot of things...things that have happened, things that just happened, and things that are still to come." Rose's cryptic words only confused Beast Boy further.

"I don't understand." Again Rose smiled sadly as she walked forward.

"You don't understand...I think that's just one of those things that makes you so sweet...one of the reasons I like you..." Rose stood now right next to Beast Boy, reaching her head down and placing a gentle kiss on Beast Boy's surprised lips, scratching one of her nails against Beast Boy's arm. The scratch was gentle enough to not be truly felt during the kiss but hard enough to just break the skin, Rose smiling slightly within her head at how easy it had been to put a sleeping agent into Beast Boy's system.

"You were great when we were together Beast Boy...even though it was only your first time...hehe...you were so enthusiastic." Beast Boy blushed as he looked away from Rose's smiling face.

"How did you k..." Beast Boy was interrupted by more giggling as Rose gently caressed the side of his face.

"It wasn't hard to figure out...just like I know that it wasn't me you were thinking about the whole time." Beast Boy felt his entire body go cold, that which he felt so guilty about being known by Rose. She continued to gently caress his face, and Beast Boy refused to look at her, though a part of that was definitely out of a sense of fear as to what Rose may be capable of. Hell hath no fury like a woman s...shorned, worned, scorned? Beast Boy wasn't exactly how the saying ended, but he surely understood what it meant.

"Rose...I'm sorry...I..." Rose waived her hand to silence Beast Boy.

"You have no reason to be sorry Beast Boy. If I really truly cared, I would find Terra and destroy her, but I have no plan to do that so don't worry." Beast Boy could only stare at Rose who did not have the most reassuring smile on her face.

"In reality, I should be the one who is sorry...I used you...manipulated you without me being completely aware of what I was doing. Psssh...who am I kidding, I always know what I'm doing. I just needed to feel something...I just needed to feel something other than all the pain and hatred that have consumed me for so very long...something before this unwaking nightmare comes to an end." Beast Boy was starting to get worried and confused. Rose's voice was beginning to sound more drawn out, her words becoming profoundly disturbing in a way, and his vision was becoming the tiniest bit hazy.

"Rose..."

"Shhh Beast Boy. You don't have to say anymore. I just want to thank you for showing me what its like to be cared for...and loved...even if it was only for a few moments...even if it wasn't truly real...I think it even might have made me happy." Beast Boy still tried to protest, though he found himself unable to speak, total weariness overtaking his entire body, his eyelids becoming far too heavy to keep open.

"The only way I can truly thank you is to ensure you don't have to deal with what is to come, don't have to witness the death and destruction that I will come. Rest now Beast Boy, and when you wake up, it will all be over." Beast Boy gripped Rose's arm, trying to keep his body from slumping over, but he simply did not have the strength. Soon enough, Beast Boy was fast asleep, his face a picture of peace and relaxation.

Rose stood up, reaching for the rest of her uniform, quickly changing moods almost instantly, unable to keep the full grin from forming on her race as she giggled to herself, the sheer feeling of anticipation moving her toward a state of complete ecstacy. She had waited so very long for this fight.

"Hehe...I can't wait to have more fun. That Robin is just so cute..its too bad he'll have to die...Oh poor Ravey will just be so angry at me...I almost feel bad but it really is Robin's fault for being chosen by my father." Rose clipped on her belt with a metallic click.

"Of course none of the Titans will be around for any of us, my expert computer skills will make sure of that." Rose had 'researched' the Titan's tower security system long ago when the Titans were still searching for her...just to be prepared. She had found it easy access even from a remote port, and knew exactly what it was capable of...exactly what she would need from it and this information would prove useful for her indeed.

"I really wish I could spend more time in their company, but I've gotten all I need from them. They provided an opportunity to go after my father and help to find him, but..." Even though Rose tried, she could not prevent herself from drifting back to only moments before, and the feelings of companionship, though as brief as they had been, Beast Boy and the Titans gave her. Feelings that under different circumstances, made Rose believe they could all be friends, and she wouldn't have to be alone anymore. So very alone...since everyone was taken...all alone.

"Maybe when its all over...maybe...no...no...nothing for me...nothing but alone..nothing."

Rose reached for her two daggers, gripping the handles of the blades tightly as she pushed down useless memories and emotions. They would not help her now or ever. Rose stared at her reflection on the blades of the daggers, a cold, frightening smile forming that truly held no emotion within it.

"Father...your little Rose is coming to see you..."

--

Raven shot up from the rather uncomfortable and disheveled heap she had been in, somehow having fallen asleep during her hours of mediation, her legs still almost locked in the lotus position. For only the briefest of moments, Raven contemplated how sleeping in such a way could even be possible, but such thoughts were lost to the frightening visions she had in her head. Visions of truth...Robin reaching for her aid...her desperation...asking why...and her doing absolutely nothing.

Raven in almost a violent fashion shook her head in denial despite knowing there was nothing to deny...it was absolutely true. A few more seconds of steady breathing, and Raven began cursing herself once more for being so lax in her duties to allow herself to fall asleep. She should have been keeping an eye on Rose. It was her responsibility to ensure that the girl wasn't a threat to any of her friends, especially after the incident with Speedy. Raven couldn't argue the fact that Speedy probably deserved something for what he had said, but she wasn't going to let Rose kill him. Perhaps a warning cut...again Raven shook her head, standing to her feet. It wasn't Speedy she should have been worrying about but rather Beast Boy. He had gone chasing after Rose...who knows what could have happened...what Raven had allowed to happen

She had failed again, somehow knew something she shouldn't have allowed to happen, happened. She had allowed her own pain and frustration to make her forget about protecting Beast Boy from whatever Rose was trying to take from him. Stupid her...stupid, selfish Raven. She extended her senses out from her spot, looking for Beast Boy and Rose, finding a rather soothed presence of Beast Boy in a random guest room, but let out a slight gasp when she could not locate Rose within the tower...could not locate her presence. She was gone, and that couldn't be good for any reason.

The sudden blaring of an unknown alarm quickly got Raven's attention even as thick metal shifted down from the ceiling to cover her windows in her room, though even when those settled, she could still hear more metal moving outside her room. What the hell was going on? Raven had no idea, but she knew this was it...Rose had made her move, and it would all begin to end.

Raven went to phase through her door only to find herself painfully repelled by some type of resistant, electrical current, knocking her unceremoniously on to her backside, her whole body tingling from the huge jolt, only able to sit there for a few seconds, mumbling slowly out of a few words.

"What was that?" Raven realized that she somehow had become a prisoner in her own room, feeling the slightest bit of energy buzzing beneath her confirming that the electricity was somehow coursing through there as well. As she stood to her feet, her communicator starting to buzz urgently hopefully with answers.

"What the hell is going on Cyborg?" Raven's voice was nearly dead calm, though her insides felt like they were turning over on themselves.

"I don't know Raven. The tower's pretty much ultimate security system has somehow activated with us eyed as the intruders. This is not good Raven...this system is the best work I've ever done...if we're not careful, it will kill us all."

"Rose...it was Rose Cyborg. I know it."

"Damn crazy bitch. Why wasn't anyone watching her? I should have updated the security codes when I got back. Where the hell was my head at?" Of course Raven knew it was her who should have been watching Rose...this was all her fault.

"What do we do Cyborg?"

"Well on the plus side, we're somewhat safe if we don't leave the rooms we're in, well if its even possible. As far as I can tell, the confine mode not the destroy mode has been activated which is meant to impede movements of intruders, lock them down to their location wherever it might be rather than initially attack kind of like quarantine mode for the infirmary. There's reinforced steel blocking those doorways with an electrical current running through every wall including the floor and ceiling. There's a good chance Starfire and Beast Boy could break through with enough raw strength, but I can't get a hold of Beast Boy and told Starfire to stay put for the moment just like I told the members of Titan's East."

"Yes, I discovered the current on my own but that is beside the point. Rose is up to something, wanted to keep us busy here so that she could leave on her own. We can't just sit around...I need to go...we need to go after her Cyborg. We absolutely have to."

"I know Rae...I know, but we really don't want to go out of where we're locked down. Even if someone breaks through, the security system is meant to stop at all cost anything that breaks confine mode...there are more weapons than you can imagine covering every inch of this place...hallways, stairwells, heck even the damn air-ducts are covered. I don't think anyone would make it long enough on their own out there to free the rest of us. I should be able to override the system, but it will take time. I...I don't know what to do Raven. Damn I wish Robin was still here."

"We don't have time Cyborg! The only reason Rose would do something like this was if she knew where Slade was and was going to do something we would stop her from doing. Do you understand what that means? She's going to hurt Robin!" Cyborg was shocked at the sudden outburst by Raven, shocked at it seemed like she knew something he hadn't told her, but the shock didn't lessen exactly what Raven was saying.

"Alright...alright. I think I have an idea." Cyborg could be seen punching a few buttons on his arm with a look of concentration.

"Well as smart as Rose thinks she is, she was dumb enough to steal one of Robin's bikes which has more tracking technology on it that almost anything else thanks to Robin's extreme paranoia. She disabled most of them, but even she could not get them all so quickly. I've transferred the frequencies you'll need to track her Raven. I know by yourself, you can move at incredible speeds with your soul self...a lot faster if your not trying to carry all of us...so you can..."

"Wait...just me? What are you planning Cyborg?"

"If you give me about twenty minutes, I should be able to divert the current and get those metal barriers off your windows. I'm going to free you Raven, and you're going to go ahead after Rose."

"What! I'm not going to leave all of you here like this. I won't abandon all my family to save only one...even if...even if its Robin. I can't..."

"Yes you can Raven. Don't worry...everyone will just sit tight until I bring down the system then we'll be coming right after you in the T-car. We'll all be right behind you, and I think you're the best for this. I mean lets be honest, you're the strongest of all of us, and I think if anyone can save Robin, its you, and Robin needs saving." Cyborg gave Raven a supportive smile which Raven returned.

"Alright Rae...good luck. All of us have the same faith in you that we've always had, and always will have. I know you won't fail. Love ya girl, and I'll talk to you soon enough."

Cyborg blinked off on the communicator, leaving Raven with the lingering, fake smile on her face she had used with Cyborg. She would be the one to chase after Rose, knowing the crazed white-haired girl would lead her right to Robin and the vision she had seen would now undoubtably come to pass. Robin would fight Rose and there would be death no matter what Raven did...death and pain...and the loss of what Raven desired most...a life with her friends and Robin.


	40. Within the Sight of the Beholder

A/N: Second update in two days. One more to go I think...I think at least...Enjoy...I'm not sure how good it actually is.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 40: Within the Sight of the Beholder

Slade sat in the depths of his lair, issuing commands to many of his robots to help speed up the evacuation of this base before its location was truly compromised. However, his unflinching gaze was suddenly pulled toward a specific monitor, showing a very specific person zooming up on one of Robin's motorcycles.

"Well this is not entirely unexpected. If anyone was to show up this quickly it would be that one. No matter though. Apprentice!" Robin almost instantly appeared from the shadows, kneeling before Slade.

"Yes master?"

"I believe we will have a guest soon enough... the one that I expected. I have told you everything that you need to know about the opponent and exactly what the weaknesses are. I have a feeling you will have to fight, and I expect you to win...and to kill.

"Without hesitation master." Slade smiled beneath his mask though he knew he would most likely end this threat personally just for the fun of it.

"Good my apprentice. It is only a matter of time." Slade pushed a few buttons on the keyboard in front of him, giving commands to a small number of robots to attack the intruder. There was no point in sending his entire legion to be destroyed for he knew they would be. After all, he trained this failed weapon, and knew exactly what it was capable of. It could defeat his robots, but not his new apprentice...that much he knew. Slade leaned back slightly in his throne, knowing he would truly be entertained with this fight for the first time in a very long time.

--

The sun had risen, a new day was finally getting under way, and Rose knew she was heading toward her new beginning...or her final end. She zoomed to a stop on her stolen bike to exactly the location that Robin had stopped at...nothing but an abandoned warehouse. Rose would have felt the smallest bit of nostalgia as she had spent a few years of her life living in such places but nostalgia was for good memories...not ones best forgotten.

She got off the bike, letting it simply drop to the ground not caring what happened to it. She studied the warehouse for a few seconds before approaching what appeared to just be another wall, though Rose knew better...knew her father better and all his tendencies. Rose felt the wall carefully until she hit a hidden button which opened up a secret door. Rose laughed quietly...so predictable.

She entered into the darkness, descending a bit of ways until she came to an elevator that only went further down into the earth.

"Well I guess I'll let him know I'm hear because I know how much daddy hates surprises." Rose removed some explosives from her belt and tossed them into the elevator, pushing the button to go down as she did so. The doors closed and the elevator began moving down though Rose did not get on it. She pulled out one of her long daggers and with a precise swing, severed the cables holding up the elevator. Instantly, the elevator began a rapid, uncontrollable descent that made Rose smile.

"Boom." The elevator stopped only when it hit the final level, an explosion erupting out with a massive noise. Rose simply took a step to the side as the flames traveled up the elevator shaft and back out on to her level. Rose stood there for a few seconds, hearing a strange sound coming up the shaft which was confirmed to be one of Slade's robots rocketing up, it hovering just in the opening of the shaft, looking at her with mechanical eyes. Rose pulled out her other dagger, gripping it firmly within her had.

"This is really going to be so much fun...hehe...time to die." And with that, Rose attacked.

--

The black form of Raven's soul self finally receded back into the young woman as she landed next to the discarded bike Rose had stolen. She opened up her communicator, quickly trying to get a hold of Cyborg, and she felt an enormous relief when his slightly smiling face was seen on the communicator though she showed absolutely nothing.

"Hey there dark girl...I just managed to turn off the system. Everyone's seems to be okay except for Beast Boy though. I think Rose drugged him or something...little green guy is sound asleep, won't wake up for anything though I think he'll be okay. I'm going to leave him in the infirmary with Speedy, and we're heading to your location as fast as possible...Mas and Menos should be there fairly quickly ahead of us. What's your status?"

"Just arrived...heading inside as we speak...please hurry up Cyborg." Cyborg couldn't help but notice the strange tone in Raven's voice, that it sounded so detached.

"You okay Raven?" Two amethyst eyes peered out from her cloak.

"Fine...heading inside...please hurry up..." And with the same exact tone of voice from Raven, the communication ended. Raven turned back toward the path of destruction Rose had left for her, and headed inside to face the future.

-

Rose viciously kicked a robot threw a doorway minus its head, the robotic body slamming with a dull thud as sparks continued to shoot from the broken carcass. Rose could simply not get the smile off her face, the adrenalin pumping through her veins was just such an incredible feeling...even better than sex she mused. Another robot came out of nowhere only to be slashed in to pieces with lightening quick attacks by Rose who knew the robot was coming before it even did. Rose reached down and picked up a piece of the robot, and threw it at a nearby camera, knocking it out just as she had done with all the others she had encountered.

She moved deeper into the complex, finding no more resistance as she came to a room which she knew would be her father's control room. His bases always had some type of similar lay out to them to those that knew the man. She kicked up the metal doors with ease, stepping into the relative darkness of the room. She could see the wall of televisions, most of them showing nothing but static, a result of her handiwork with the cameras though on a few she could see herself.

"Smile for the camera...hehe...oh father...where are you?" Her answer was the sound of a few heavy footsteps and the smooth, calm voice of Slade.

"Really now you shouldn't call me that. I don't want any claim of having sired something as pathetic as you" Rose growled.

"Still an asshole I see..where's your little boy toy apprentice...send him out so he can die." Slade's laugh echoed in the darkness.

"Really now...why is it that you want to kill him so bad. I thought it was me you wanted to kill."

"Oh I'll kill you...but first, I'm going to break your precious apprentice. I'm going to prove to you that I am the one who is truly skilled...am the one who is truly strong...prove to you that you made a mistake throwing me away like nothing but garbage...treating like nothing but a lab experiment...like a nothing...I will prove it here and now by killing him." Slade laughed in sheer amusement.

"Now this is truly pathetic. A cold-blooded killer looking for revenge I understand but you...you are nothing but a scared little girl looking for approval and acceptance from a father who wants absolutely nothing to do with her. In all the years, you are still useless and flawed, and the only reason I'm acknowledging the fact you exist is because you've come uninvited in to my home. You are beyond nothing girl and always will be. Apprentice...exterminate this vermin."

Robin stepped out of the shadows, bo staff already in hand, eyeing up his target...Slade's daughter. He could see her body quivering ever so slightly from Slade's verbal assault but knew not to underestimate anyone trained by Slade himself...even if Slade said she would be no challenge.

"I'll kill you...I swear I will...swear it!" The white-haired girl became nothing but a blur as she charged forward at Robin expectantly, raising his bo staff to block, the first sparks flying of their battle.

Robin was surprised by the strength of Rose's blow, which forced him to duck the next slash she sent at him. She had already proven strong and fast, and Robin was ready to test her defenses. With a spin of his staff, he swung at her midsection which was blocked as he expected, but immediately reversed from the impact aiming a sweep at her feet which Rose jumped over with ease as if she knew it was coming...which of course she did.

Rose stepped back in neither an offensive or defensive stance, smiling at Robin.

"A bo staff? What do you really expect to do with a weapon that's not meant for lethal attacks? How do you really expect to kill me with that you moron?"

"I have my ways. Do not think to doubt my skills."

"Blah blah blah...back to fighting." Rose attacked forward, a whirl of blades that Robin found difficult to keep back. The sound of metal meeting metal echoed everywhere, as Robin did his best to defend. Robin wanted to reach for some freeze discs at his belt, but every time he tried, Rose would attack fiercely again to prevent him from getting a free hand. Robin was already cursing her damn precognitive abilities as he couldn't do anything without her knowing it before hand. It was an absolutely perfect defense. Again Robin reached for his belt, only this time was not fast enough to get his defense back and Rose slashed his arm, drawing first blood.

"This is just too easy...bleeding already." Rose stared at the blood on her dagger with an almost sadistic smile on her face.

"Only a few drops so far...soon enough it will be pints flowing freely across the ground. You will die cutey...oh yes you will." Rose kissed at Robin with the same twisted smile, though all Robin did was set his feet.

"Sorry...I'm not going to lose to some crazy bitch." Rose's eye went wide with fury.

"Don't call me crazy!" She flew forward, again becoming a whirling blur of blades, Robin finding himself being nicked every so often by the relentless attacks, though some of them were on purpose as he looked for an opening.

"Would you rather I lie to you, you psycho." Rose screamed in rage, swinging recklessly to decapitate Robin who inwardly smiled as he ducked the attack, and kicked her squarely in the chest, knocking her a few feet back.. Slade had told him about Rose's special power, but also had told him that it was unstable...that she was always worthless because she was too emotional, and the more emotional she became, the less she could draw on her powers. She could not master her skill because she couldn't control herself. This was how to beat her seemingly perfect defense...attack the weak mind of the insecure little girl in front of him.

"Just shut up...shut up...I'm going to rip you apart." Another attack though this one was more controlled, Rose spinning with one blade low and the other high, Robin doing his best to block both. However, at the last second, the spinning Rose kicked forward, a blade popping from the toe of her boot, slashing at an angle Robin could not block, a deep slash cutting him across the abdomen. Rose stopped to regain her balance, smiling again.

"More blood...more blood...dripping to the ground...do you see father...I am the strongest, not your 'chosen'...your daughter...me...me!" Slade only shook his head as he stepped out of the shadows, saying absolutely nothing. Robin took the few seconds to regain himself, feeling no pain whatsoever as he readied himself.

"You are absolutely pathetic Rose. Oh so sad, daddy doesn't love you...daddy doesn't want you. Boo-hoo, cry some more little baby."

"Shut up you bastard...shut up."

"I mean I barely know you, but I can already see that you have nothing to offer anyone...maybe whoring yourself out, but then, who would want some white-haired, one-eyed psychopath who did I mention, spits when she talks. What...was suicide not an option?"

Rose screamed in an almost animalistic manner with blinding rage in her eye, as Robin met her attack with his staff. She attacked harder and harder each time as if she was simply trying to break the staff in half, Robin simply holding her back waiting for the exact moment. Then it came...Rose slammed her one blade down again, Robin taking the moment to grab a special explosive disk from his belt unseen to Rose. She stabbed forward, her blade going into Robin's side, though the successful hit allowed Robin to land a blow on Rose's side, knocking her back.

"You can't beat me little apprentice...you've barely touched me, and you're already bleeding from half a dozen wounds. This is over." Robin stood tall, a large smile forming on his face.

"What are you smiling at!" Robin raised his hand, and pointed down at the ground which caused Rose to look down at her feet, Robin diving out of the way as fast as he could as Rose's eye settled on a blinking disk somehow Robin had set without her knowing during the last series of attacks. Robin had no chance to react as the disk blew, only instead of an explosive explosion, this disk was meant to fire a great deal of sharp, deadly shrapnel out from impact. It worked absolutely perfect as Robin intended, the sharp metal projectiles piercing into Rose's legs shredding them on impact.

Rose screamed out in pain as she collapsed to the ground, blood already beginning to leak from the savage wounds all up her legs. Robin gathered himself to his feet, having just barely avoided his own attack though he was certain a piece had hit him in the shoulder. He was not phased at all. He approached his bleeding target, as Rose dragged herself away from him until she got to a wall, and in an act of either sheer stupidity or sheer strength of will, used the wall to help support herself back to her feet even though it caused pain beyond comprehension to do so.

"Ahhhh...I won't let you beat me...won't...I'm not weak...not a nothing!" Rose leaned heavily against the wall, breathing harshly as she watched Robin approach who seemed hesitant to do so despite his words.

"You've lost Rose...just as you were supposed to...this is over." Rose who only had one dagger in her hand, held in front of her body in a defensive manner, but with a single swing, the blade was knocked out of her weak grip and across the room, making her wounded and defenseless, though still defiant as she stared with sheer hatred at Robin though it was Slade who took command of the situation.

"Stop my apprentice and step aside...I will handle this from now on." Robin turned with slight confusion on his face, though obeyed quickly stepping a few feet to the side, as Slade approached to within about fifteen feet of the wounded Rose.

"That was truly a pathetic display, so easily being baited into an emotional, irrational beast...just like usual. You are still exactly as you were which means you were doomed to defeat from the very beginning. Tragic almost...well if you actually mattered to anyone it might be tragic. No one cares if I dispose of some garbage I think." Rose growled, her movement only causing her to nearly fall over, though she refused to give her father that satisfaction by doing so his presence.

"I could very easily allow my apprentice to end your life, but his first kill should not be wasted on something like you. In the end, it was I who created you, so it is only fitting that I finally destroy you." Slade pulled out a gun which had somehow been hidden on his form, Robin slightly shocked by seeing the man go to such a crude, deadly weapon. It was truly the first time he had ever seen Slade use such a weapon.

"Over time I've given up the use of firearms, but this is only fitting for the situation. You see, this is the gun that killed your mother, when she tried to stop me from starting your brother's training. I think you were only a baby at the time...should have killed you then." Rose whimpered in the very slightest, though nothing else.

"It is also the gun that killed your oldest brother when I decided he would never have the power to live up to my legacy. Finally, it was the gun that killed Jericho, when he refused to prove his strength and kill you...he always was too soft when it came to you...you are the reason he had to die, but lets be honest, I think they would all rather be dead than have to live to see you as this pathetic mess." Tears came from Rose's one eye even as she snarled in anger at Slade, reaching out her arm in futility toward Slade who wasn't even close to her.

"Hate you! Hate you...why won't you just die...die you bastard! Die...die..."

"I don't think I'll be doing that, but I do see it in your future." Slade cocked the gun.

"You were a complete accident Rose. I never wanted you and never loved you in any way. I just thought you should no that before you die. Good bye." The gun was fired.

--

Raven floated down the hallway, hearing the sound of metal meeting metal off in the distance, sensing three people she was rather familiar with. She stuck to an almost incorporeal form as she moved, not wanting to be noticed at all. Of course she knew no one would really think that she was here for one would imagine if a Titan arrived, they would make their presence obvious in this type of situation. She had no intention of doing that. The vision of the future she had seen replayed over and over in her mind, knowing it would be within the next few moments her chance would come. Her body just wanted to freeze up completely but she wouldn't allow it. She came to the doorway, could hear Robin and Rose talking to each other, cringing at some of the things being said, but instead went about going into a meditative state, reaching into the bond that just barely still existed between her and Robin.

She could feel Robin...could feel the overpowering darkness driving him forward, but she could also feel his hesitance, his desire to just stop though it was becoming weaker with each attack.

She slipped a very small part of herself into his mind along the bond, the smallest bit she could, barely noticeable to the darkness overwhelming Robin.

Raven's real senses could hear Slade beginning some type of villainous gloating but while he was doing this, an entirely different conversation was going on in Robin's head between Robin and Raven. Raven had fought through the shrouds of darkness, though the layers of mind corrupted by Slade and dark magic, and had found the Robin that she sought. Within his mindscape, she found the Robin she remembered, maskless with two blue eyes, staring out at an endless ocean with absolutely nothing around him. She knew he was lost and confused, and she had come to give him direction once again.

"Robin..." The name traveled on the unseen winds, easily getting Robin's attention who spun around looking for something that wasn't really there.

"Raven?" Again he was answered by a voice from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

"Yes Robin, it is me. I've come to hel...I've come to ask a favor from you Robin. I need you to do something for me...please."

"Raven...I don't know if I can help you. Everything is so blurred and confused...so much pain. I can't control myself Raven...it hurts just too much. It burns deep inside, and it never stops. I'm now strong enough...I'm sorry..."

"Yes you are Robin. You are the strongest person I've ever known. I have and always will have faith in the man that I love, and not even what has happened will ever change that."

"I don't know Raven...I can feel myself losing...losing to the darkness. It keeps taking more and more control every time I disobey him. It just hurts so much." Raven wrapped her warmest emotions gently around the breaking Robin, doing her best to sooth his battered soul.

"I know Robin...I know, but I promise, the pain will all go away soon enough if you do what I ask. I need you to be strong and determined...I need you to defy Slade and become the hero that I know you are. Please my love...fight against it all for just a little longer...fight as hard as you can." The Robin within the mindscape latched on the bright, burning emotions that were coming from Raven, and smiled a quiet, peaceful smile.

"What do I need to do Raven?"

--

Raven pulled back within herself, this time feeling less rejection from her intrusion because of the strength of Robin's will...and his love all toward her. However, all she could do was look sadly at the ground as she knew the scene that would play out now though Rose would not meet her end this time as the vision had told her it would. Raven had manipulated the future and now, things would never be the same.

Raven heard Slade tell his daughter good bye, and at that exact moment, all Raven could do was close her eyes, hearing only the sound of a gunshot that would forever echo within her mind.

Slade pulled the trigger with an arrogant smile on his face, though the smile lasted only as long as it took him to finish squeezing the trigger, for as soon as the bullet left the barrel, his victorious apprentice stepped in the path between the bullet and its wounded target.

Slade rarely ever found himself shocked in his life, but this was one of those occasions where all he could do was stare at the sight before him as the bullet pierced into Robin who had moved to protect his worthless daughter...had moved to sacrifice himself for Rose just as Raven had asked him to...to be a hero again. Of course Slade's worthless daughter also saw the opportunity that had been presented to her, a hidden dagger now flying from her hand as she finally allowed herself to collapse to the ground, the dagger flying with perfect precision over the head of the falling Robin.

Slade had been shocked by Robin's sudden sacrifice, though he was ultimately far more shocked at the blade that suddenly came out of nowhere coming right at his eye. In only an instant, Slade moved with his nearly flawless reflexes, shifting his head out of the line of the blade, only to find the blade encased in the smallest hint of familiar black energy, changing its trajectory to coincide with his movement. The words of denial never made it out of Slade's mouth for the blade pierced directly through the cold gray eye that had haunted so many people for so very long, the blade's tip finally ending is journey several inches into Slade's malevolent brain. Slade collapsed with a metal thud, his life finally ended at the hands of this worthless daughter...and Raven.

"Go to hell you bastard." Rose's words came fiercely off her smiling lips as she sat painfully on the ground, leaning against the wall, her shredded legs continuing to bleed though the pain was no longer felt. She had killed Slade...killed her father, and the only purpose she had for so very long had been fulfilled...her real family avenged. She was happy...so very happy even if she had not done everything she had desired to do.

It not hard for Rose to notice the sudden appearance of the floating cloaked figure of Raven who finally emerged from the shadows, gliding silently across the room toward her and Robin.

"I saw what you did Rae-Rae, and I really didn't think you had it in you. Cold blooded...just like me...hehe. Thank you Raven...I really do mean that...thank you. You've done everyone a favor I think." Raven did not answer Rose, did not make any motion or action toward the smiling girl, but instead went directly over to Robin, whose shallow breathing lessened more and more with each passing second, his blood continuing to emerge from the wound in his chest.

Raven kneeled by his side, pulling down her hood to reveal her sad yet determined face. Robin slowly reached up his hand toward her though Raven did not take it which confused the nearby Rose.

"Hey Ravey, shouldn't you be using some of that healing magic. I mean your boyfriend is bleeding to death on the ground." Raven again said nothing, only watched the hurt expression on Robin's face as she refused to take his hand, watching with a single tear in her eye as it slowly fell back to his side, feeling her heart wrench as his last word was 'why', before his breathing finally stopped. Robin was dead and all Raven did was watch him die.


	41. Awaken From The Nightmare

A/N: Sorry for the extremely long delay. I never intended it to ever take this long to get this out but my health hasn't been all that great. I'm about a step away from needing my gall bladder removed and considering I had my kidney taken out a little over six months ago, any surgery isn't really good. I tend to sleep when I can to avoid the pain I seem to be in constantly. Of course I've also had no desire to write, and kind of screwed up by trying to put everything in one chapter which made everything I wrote suck. So anyways, here is the first of the final two chapters...not sure how good it is, but who really knows. The last chapter should be up soon...mostly written, all nearly ten thousand words of it, but its almost done.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 41: Awaken from the Nightmare

By: Finalitylife

Robin's final breath disappeared from his lips, his body no longer moving, only starting to slowly turn cold. Rose looked on with a morbid sense of curiosity, not needing her unique powers of insight to know something was going to happen.

"Oh Rae-Rae, just what are you doing? I mean, I find it hard to believe you're just going to let your little boyfriend die. Of course, I could be wrong and you will, but that would make you an even bigger bitch than me and that can't be possible."

Any humor or satisfaction with the situation was quickly erased from Rose as she was completely startled by an unseen gust of wind that seemed to swirl around the room as a dark, deep growl emanated from within Raven, her head snapping toward the fallen, white haired girl. Rose could not help but find fear creeping into her as instead of being met with Raven's cold indigo gaze, she found the burning red gaze of a demon.

"Shut up!" Rose could only stare on wide-eye as some unseen force seemed to be squeezing tightly around her heart, making it difficult to do much else, let alone breath, just wanting those eyes to look away.

"Do not think for a second you have any idea what is going on Rose nor can you understand just what I was willing to do to truly save him. It was I who put him in front of that bullet that saved your pathetic life Rose because I needed him to die at the hands of your father, whether it was intentional or not. All of this was exactly what I intended to happen...thank you Rose for being so predictable and weak."

Black energy seemed to slowly be forming within the very air around Raven and the prone body of Robin, the unseen wind becoming stronger and even more ominous with every passing moment. Rose could feel raging emotions coming off in waves from Raven, as if they physically were striking her battered body, and truly just wanted to crawl away from this scene though she knew she was far too weak at this point from blood loss. She was trapped here with...with whatever Raven had become. In front of her right now must truly be the daughter of the great evil the Titans had fought so hard against..

"Robin had to die, just as Slade had to die..hehe, do you want to die Rose?" A malicious and cruel grin formed on Raven's face as she looked upon Rose, sending a chill through the normally fearless young woman.

"Do you want to join daddy in hell Rose? I would be so easy for me to send you there." Raven peered down at her hand in front of her as if she was carefully inspecting her fingernails for dirt in almost a vain manner, though it was easy to see the black energy forming there. However, what was more worrisome for Rose was that it appeared that two more burning crimson eyes were beginning to flicker into existence on Raven's face, just above her two other eyes.

"So easy to tear you into little pieces...so easy to tear your soul asunder and cast into oblivion...would you like that little Rose?" It was at this moment that Rose didn't care how tired and weak she was, she was getting away from Raven. She started dragging her body away, pulling her useless legs behind her as she crawled away on her stomach toward the nearest exit, making it a few feet before she realized something was holding her from moving, peering back to see a tendril of black energy wrapped around her ankle.

"Oh I don't think so Rose. You won't be going anywhere...its time to play." Raven began pulling on the tendril, slowly dragging Rose toward the growing darkness that was Raven, Rose doing her best to resist, but only leaving scratch marks in the ground from her nails as she was pulled back. Raven seemed to have grown larger and even more imposing with each passing second, more tendrils of dark energy lashing out from her body, leaving deep slashes and crevices in the floor around her, though known seemed to touch Robin.

"I'm going to devour your soul little mortal so that I can torture it for all eternity. There shall never be freedom from your pain...never." Rose in almost sheer terror tried to dig her fingertips into the solid concrete ground, trying to do anything to stop her movement, but thin trails of blood that were now the lasting impression of her futile attempt to save herself.

"Oh god...oh god..."

"God's not going to waste his time on you bitch..." Raven now seemed to be the only thing Rose could see, her darkened form seemingly encompassing everything...that was except for Robin. Rose's fear stricken mind suddenly had one last hope.

"Raven...you have to stop this Raven! You are only wasting time with me while Robin continues to decay right next to you. Are you truly going to just let him die Raven? Are you!" Raven seemed to stop suddenly, her two newly formed eyes slowly fading back and forth from existence. She raised a shaking hand to her head, as her body seemed to start shrinking ever so slightly, Robin's name whispered off her lips in her normal voice, not the twisted, demonic sound that her voice had become.

"Yes Robin...you have to save him Raven. That's what all this was for! You have to save him!" The tendril holding Rose's ankle dissipated away as much of the black energy pulled back into Raven's body as she soon returned to her normal size, falling back to her knees next to Robin. However, the unseen wind remained along with two glowing red eyes though Rose couldn't help but feel the smallest bit of relief because at least Raven's evil smile had faded.

Raven continued to hold her head with shaky hands, as she fought for control of herself, though inside she was not fully resisting her demonic half. She truly needed that half of herself for the first time in her existence...she just couldn't let it take control...couldn't become a monster. She just needed it for a little while...needed it to save Robin.

"I'm...I'm sorry Rose...I'm..." A slight nervous laugh came from Rose though it sounded much more like the relaxed young woman than what she had sounded like as she pleaded with Raven. It amazed Raven that Rose could so quickly go back to this demeanor, but then again, Rose's emotional state really didn't behave anywhere near normal.

"No problem...I'm come to expect everyone I meet to try and kill me."

"Probably...but I am still sorry. I need to tap directly into my demonic side to do what I must do. Only the pure dark energy and magic within me and help me to save Robin. Slade and Robin were connected by the darkest of magic, and if your father was to die, then Robin was to die, and his soul would be pulled into the darkest depths of Hell along side Slade's...bound forever in hatred. However, since Robin died at the hands of the one he served, this was not to be. Slade's death and Robin's death freed Robin from that bastard...though he still is not completely free."

"There's always something else isn't there. Always something else when it comes to my father."

"Actually, the problem for once isn't Slade, but rather the dark magic within Robin itself. It has grown strong within Robin's soul...has become nearly indistinguishable from the shadows of Robin's soul and has tapped into Robin's will, becoming sentient in a way. Even though the bond between Slade and Robin is gone, the curse on Robin will not go so easily...it will rather take Robin's soul into oblivion rather than give in. It must be broken as well...and the only thing that can do that is that which I've despised and hated since the moment I could comprehend myself. To save the one I love above all others, I will use the evil within me...will use dark magic even though I swore I would never do that again...I will do anything to save him...sacrifice everything for him"

"Well then you really shouldn't be wasting time having girl talk with me should you." Raven smiled ever so slightly, but it was a soft, sorrowful smile, one filled with regret but acceptance all the same and even Rose felt the smallest bit of what Raven was feeling within her heart, truly feeling bad everything had to work out this way though really not regretting anything...a paradox of a choice made.

"I know Rose...I know. It is time."

Raven turned back toward Robin's body, gracefully sitting herself into the lotus position next to him, folding her hands into some unknown grip with each other, as darkened power seemed to flow all around her. Rose could only watch as Raven began chanting some unknown language, her hands breaking from their grip as they began moving in an intricate pattern, trails of black energy flowing from each move. Raven's chanting soon became faster and louder, her voice almost at the level of screaming, Rose only wanting to cower away as the raw energy in the atmosphere seemed to be coming alive, trying to consume everything but Rose at least knew Raven was in control this time, not like before.

Raven's voice found a way to grow even louder, it echoing from everywhere and all things all at once, when suddenly she stopped, her one hand raised above her head with a talon of dark energy surrounding it. Time itself seemed to stop at that moment, as if Raven was taking a final second to say goodbye to this world, and just as quickly as everything stopped, it all began again with Raven plunging her hand down, straight into Robin's chest.

Her hand passed through every layer of his body as if it was intangible, the power seeking out not Robin's body, but his soul as this moment, though Raven was not the only force that wanted that. The dark, twisted curse energy that refused to relent its control would not give in so easily. With a violent pull and a scream of determination, Raven's hand came jerking out of Robin, a swirling and thrashing dark energy seemingly grasped within her own dark talon of energy. There was a deafening, high pitched shriek that caused Rose to cover her hears though it did not seem to faze Raven at all, not even when the energy she had pulled from Robin's body grew larger, forming into the defined form of a giant snake, its mouth agape hissing at the one who opposed it.

Raven looked on with still burning eyes, a look of sheer frost on her face as her own black energy surrounding her too began to take the shape of a red-eyed raven, its wings outstretched across the room.

"His soul is mine witch...mine forever. You will not break the deal." The snake spoke without moving its mouth, as if simply speaking through presence and power directly into one's mind, it rising higher into the air appearing to be preparing to strike.

"I think not...I will save him, I will not let him suffer anymore !" The raven shrieked as the snake sprang forward with the intent to sink its fangs into Raven who remained on the floor looking defiantly up at the dark energy that had dwelled within Robin. The attack never made it to its target as the wings of the great raven from within intercepted the attack easily, the wings quickly engulfing it.

"Do not think unfocused curse energy could ever stand up against the power of the Daughter of Trigon. This battle was over the second I pulled you apart from his soul into the open. It is time you returned to the void, never to be seen again."

The raven's head shot forward, its large beak snapping around the neck of the snake as it futilely tried to escape the raven's grasp, making promises of untold power and happiness that only fell on to deaf ears. With the closing of the beak, the curse on Robin's soul was finally broken. There was no great explosion, no final scream or massive climatic spectacle of power for the curse that Slade had inflicted upon Robin, but instead it just ended by the fading away of the snake into oblivion without so much as a sound.

However, the things in front of Rose did not stop for an instance, as again Raven began chanting words of dark power and purpose, her soul self shrieking loudly with strength. The dark bird flew up, flying around both Raven and Robin, before suddenly diving down, passing through Robin's body, then passing through Raven's body, causing the small woman's whole body to jerk in what appeared to be terrible pain though she made no sound.

Raven's soul self continued to fly around the two, faster and faster until it became nothing but a blur, Raven reaching down with her hand to gently caress the side of Robin's face, the smallest bit of warmth returning to it.

"Good bye Robin...I will always love you." Raven's soul self slammed back into her body and in an instance, everything turned black.

--

Mas and Menos sped toward their destination faster than they had ever gone before, a sense of urgency deep within both of them though the smallest bit of relief as they entered into the desired cities limit. They stopped for a second to call Cyborg to let him know they had arrived, when the ground started shaking. The two twins could only look up as suddenly a massive black raven burst from up into the sky, its wings stretching on for what seemed like forever, its massive shriek causing everything to shake again, and then just as soon as it appeared it was gone, leaving the only sound as Cyborg's concerned voice asking to know what was going on from the communicator clutched in Mas's hand.

–

--

_"Blood...so much blood...they're dead...all dead."_

_"Of course they are my apprentice. Your mission was to end all of their pathetic lives and you executed each of them flawlessly. I must say, your cruelty was even shocking to me...especially what you did to that purple-haired half breed. She never did quite figure out that begging you to stop was completely futile...that it only made you torture her more."_

_"No...I wouldn't...they were my friends...she...Raven...this can't be real."_

_"Oh it is real my boy. Things are exactly as they should be."_

_"No...I'm not you...I'm me. I won't let you control me anymore. I won't..." Robin could only stare at the endless amounts of blood that seemed to drench the ground, barely hearing the steely footsteps coming near him._

_"You will because you are mine. Nothing will ever change that. There will never be escape from me." Robin looked up to find Slade's skinless, grinning skull but what was far more frightening was Raven's severed head held in Slade's hand, her eyes dead to the world forever. _

_All Robin could do was scream._

Robin tried to shoot up as he frantically awoke from a nightmare with the mocking laughter of Slade still echoing within his head. However, he found himself still partially restrained by his arms to the bed he was on, unable to fully move even as his body quivered slightly despite his strongest protests.

It had perhaps been a few days since he had been brought back to the Titan's Tower, though he wasn't exactly sure...wasn't exactly sure about really what had happened. He was finally home...finally free, that much he knew, but he was not well, his mind still a confused and tormented place even though Slade was finally gone...at least from what he was led to believe from the whispers he managed to pick up from the other Titans.

In a way, Robin was happy he was restrained because when the Titans had found him in Slade's lair, he did remember lashing out at them in a fit of what could only be called insanity, and even after he had partially calmed down, he was still a muttering, confused mess who was highly unpredictable...even toward his friends.

They would come and check on him, always looking so sad...so down, and rarely would tell him much about what was going on even when he asked where Raven was. They told him they would tell him everything once he was a little bit better, and though Robin wanted to press the issue, especially with Raven, he didn't. At the very least, he could still feel Raven's presence within himself though it seemed to be extremely distant. It was there, and that was all Robin needed for the moment...just needed to feel her there. She was alive, and Slade was dead. This was the truth no matter what his nightmares tried to tell him...just had to keep telling himself that.

Robin turned his head to the left, expecting to find the unconscious form of Slade's daughter whom the Titans had taken back with them as well. She had been in a coma since she had gotten here, the amount of blood she ended up losing was immense, and it was still uncertain if she would ever wake up despite the treatment Cyborg had given her. It was for this fact that Robin was so surprised to find a grinning Rose who was intently looking at him as if she had never been in a coma at all and had been watching him for awhile. Robin repressed a shudder thinking about Slade's daughter watching him as he had his nightmare...seeing his weakness.

"Wakey-wakey sleepy head. I was wondering when you would wake up. Its so boring in here, and I figured at least we could talk to pass the time. Well actually I could think of plenty of other very fun things to do with you but as you can see, I'm a bit stuck." Rose lifted up one of her hands, unbreakable cuffs and chains holding her to the bed.

"Of course the handcuffs could really just make things even more fun. Who would have thought the Titans could be so kinky...hehe."

Robin grunted in response turning his vision back toward the ceiling, not wanting to even look at the daughter of his nemesis. It was not so much the fact that she tried to kill him that bothered him, but rather that he kept thinking of Slade every time he looked at her, and every thought of Slade only brought darkness, confusion, and pain. Cyborg had promised that the drugs Slade had put in his system were at least rapidly clearing themselves out with his help, but there were far more than drugs scarring Robin's mind...far more than memories of physical pain tearing at his being. Robin was free, no more magic and no more Slade, but he still felt like he was in a cage. He just wanted everything to clear itself up...just wanted to see Raven.

"I bet your thinking about Rae-Rae aren't you?" Robin only continued to look up at the ceiling even as Rose bounced in her bed with energy wanting a response.

"Its too bad she's not here right now. I really want to thank her again." This caught Robin's interest, looking over at Rose who was smiling slyly at him.

"What could someone like you possibly have to thank her about?"

"Well I want to thank her for killing my father, that's all. She's the one who insured the final blow would land." Robin found his body turn cold at Rose's gleeful explanation.

"What?"

"Oh yeah...she was great. The dagger I threw would have missed, but Raven used her powers to ensure it landed dead on target...and I do mean dead on target...hehe, he was dead before he hit the ground." Robin's eyes narrowed underneath his at the smiling young woman.

"She wouldn't..." Rose cut him off.

"Of course she would. She said the only way to save you was to kill him. She really didn't have any choice. She really does care about you to do such a thing just for you, doesn't she?" Robin could only continue to look ahead, only able to repeat the same thing.

"She wouldn't..."

"Oh she would, could, and most definitely did. Come now sweetheart, don't tell me that if you had no other choice, you wouldn't have killed that bastard to save Raven's life. I doubt you would have hesitated for a second."

Robin found he really had nothing to say, sensed truthfulness in what Rose was saying and knew that she was right. Robin never wanted to have to kill anyone in his life, a principle he had learned and respected from Batman, but he knew if he were to ever truly break that rule by his own wanton choice, it would have been for Raven. Robin still couldn't help but feel so very guilty about making Raven do such a thing, if she really had, to only save himself...couldn't imagine just how difficult it had been for Raven who was more gentle and kind than even himself despite being half demon. Perhaps if they all had to just left him to his fate...Robin quivered again slightly. If they had left him, it would have only been a matter of time before he turned life into death...and it would have been innocents and not an evil bastard like Slade.

"That Rae-Rae...she was willing to do anything to save you because she loved you that much...so much that nothing would stop her from saving you from a terrible fate. You really should remember that Robby"

Robin stared at Rose who had a rather somber look on her face with an almost disbelieving sense because it truly felt like Rose was telling Robin to not be judgmental, look beneath the surface to the heart of what had happened, though Robin couldn't imagine why Rose would even waste the energy to do such a thing. However, Rose's somberness was short lived as she smiled again.

"Girl has an incredible will and of course she was a hell of a kisser...hehe...I bet you would have loved to see that." Robin's more cold and depressing thoughts suddenly were gone as he looked wide-eyed from underneath the mask that was thankfully over his eye.

"What?"

"Oh yeah." Rose licked her lips. "It was real nice." Robin forcibly shook his head, annoyed that he was letting this enemy toy with him...letting himself believe there was anymore to the situation other than taunting him and getting a rise out of him. Things were messed up enough in his mind, and he really didn't need this.

"Could you please just shut up...I heard enough self absorbed nonsense when I dealt with your father."

Rose's eye narrowed slightly at the comment, and it looked like some cutting comment was about to come off her lips, but she was interrupted by the door to the infirmary slowly opening up, a modified version of the quarantine lock-down keeping the place off limits. Cyborg smiled as he saw Robin looking slightly more relaxed than usual though his smile quickly turned to a frown at the sight of Rose.

"Hey there...did you come to play doctor with me?"

"Oh...you're finally awake. You should just be grateful we didn't just leave you to bleed out back there considering what you did, but if we had left you, that would have made us one of the bad guys just like you."

"Oh I'm not a bad girl. Thank you, see I can be nice. Thanks for everything." Cyborg repressed a small shiver at Rose's smile and tone of voice for it was far to genuine coming from someone who had nearly cost them Robin forever.

"Yeah whatever...I better let Beast Boy know that your awake so that he can avoid the infirmary. He wants less to do with you than anyone else, though I can't really blame him."

Rose's smile slowly faded away, and Robin caught the sad look that came to her face at Cyborg's biting comment, making her look all too human. Robin suspected that was a type of look that had never once crossed Slade's face, and seeing that look on her face, suddenly made it more difficult to associate Rose with Slade. At least that was one less reason to hate this girl.

"So how are you feeling Rob?" Robin smiled weakly.

"As good as can be expected." Cyborg did his best to give him a comforting smile.

"Yeah...seriously man, glad to have you back. I don't think any of us can say that enough. Even Speedy is happy to see you despite the beat..." Cyborg cut himself off realizing in his slight nervousness he said something he shouldn't have. Robin however, only nodded.

"Don't worry Cy. Even with all Slade did, it was still a majority of me that went after Speedy. I have to accept that fact, and actually go apologize to that womanizer at some point. I am not looking forward to that." Cyborg smiled with relief at the small bit of humor from his returned friend.

"Yeah...he'll probably forgive ya right away but still tell ya he's holding it against you forever just so that he can get favors out of you." The two laughed, completely ignoring Rose who simply turned her back to the two as she lied in bed, pouting...or perhaps actually upset at what Cyborg had said. Cyborg approached Robin's bed, checking a few monitors and such.

"Well you are looking much better physically Rob, I can at least say that. However...really, how are you doing?" Robin looked down.

"Not good Cy...not good. Slade...I still feel like he's watching me...still feel like he's just hiding in the shadows waiting for the next opportunity. Every moment is a challenge Cy...it really is." Cy nodded sadly.

"Yeah man...yeah...at least I can tell you that Slade is most definitely dead this time. We all saw the body ourselves." Robin nodded.

"Yeah...I really wish I could believe it, but I just can't right now...not completely. At the very least, Slade is still alive within memories I no longer want and within the fresh scars on my soul. I don't think he's quite ready to leave me alone yet.

"Well man, no matter what, we'll help you with whatever you need. He's gone, and I refuse to let whatever lingering phantom of him that's left get you again." Robin again weakly smiled.

"I truly...truly want to believe you Cy...I really do."

"Get some rest if you can Rob...I think right now that's best for you. Starfire will be in a few hours with some food for you. Try to eat something. I think it will really make her happy to see that."

"Yeah it would... ... ...Cy where's Raven?" Cy went tense which was no small feat for a man made of metal.

"Rob...well...I don't think your ready to hear this yet. We tried to tell you a few days ago, and you completely went mental...man it was bad...real bad." Cyborg looked at Robin's confused face.

"You don't remember that do you." Robin shook his head.

"Just get some rest Rob...there's nothing to worry about right now. I promise I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

Robin wanted to argue more, but he just didn't feel like he had the energy. He could still feel her...just barely...good enough for the moment. Cyborg left quietly, seeing Robin deep within his own thoughts, not wanting to interrupt. Robin sat like that for what felt like an eternity, trying to will his hands to stop shaking though they wouldn't. His cracked concentration was finally completely broken when he was interrupted by a quiet voice next to him.

"I can understand Robin so very well. Those touched by the hand of Slade can never forget...can never be innocent again...can never truly find peace...can never be the same."

Robin glanced over at Rose who was doing her best to curl up in a ball even with the restraints on her, her back still to Robin. He could sense such deep sadness within her voice, nothing like the arrogant and manipulative tone from before. Robin almost had the instinctive desire to reach out to comfort her, though his restraints stopped that easily. Despite everything, he suddenly realized, Rose might be one of the few people who could ever understand what he had endured...and know the pain probably would never go away. Raven would understand as well...Robin knew this too.

"I honestly feel bad for you Rose for ever having that monster as a father. I am sorry at some point in my life I never could have done anything to help you." Robin's feelings were truly genuine, even toward the girl who had tried to kill him, just as real as the smallest of sniffles Rose emitted before responding.

"And I envy you Robin, because he wanted you more than he ever wanted his own children...his own daughter. I'm sorry I wasn't good enough...then he would have left you alone."

Robin wanted to say something, something profound and comforting, but all he could say was, 'You were too good to be his daughter." Rose only moved slightly in her bed, and a thank you drifted ever so quietly in the infirmary.

The two tortured souls sat quietly with each other, not really needing to say anything, at least finding the smallest bit of comfort in the fact that some one else alive in this world did understand even though they were far more enemies than ever would be friends. However, for a few moments, these things did not matter. Eventually Robin laid his head back down, feeling like sleeping, trying to stay awake knowing Starfire was supposed to arrive sooner or later. He was surprised when Rose's voice broke the silence again.

"In time, you will see her again. Trust me on this...I know." Robin did not respond because he also knew within his heart, that he would see her again no matter what.

Starfire eventually came with food for both Robin and Rose. Starfire did her best to comfort Robin, the battered young man unable not to smile a real smile for the Tamaranian princess despite everything, smiling even when Rose said some off-handed comment that Starfire didn't get, Robin simply telling her to shut up and keep away from her friends, though it was more light-hearted than anything. It was a surprising peaceful night for Robin, that much he couldn't deny. When he slept finally, the nightmares did come back, though no where as bad as they had been.

When Robin awoke finally the next morning, Rose was nowhere to be found, the only sign she had ever been there was a slightly disheveled bed, some spots of blood on the floor, the sense that he had been kissed on the cheek, and a small note that said, 'I'm sorry' stealthily placed in Beast Boy's room.

She was gone, and Robin, despite knowing only what was in Slade's file about the girl, somehow knew that if he ever encountered her again, it would probably be as enemies once again because he suspected that Rose wasn't the type to lose in a fight and not come back for a rematch. Only time would truly tell though, and Robin hated to admit it, but he was looking forward to that rematch. For now, all he could do was rest and heal from the nightmare that still lingered at the edge of his senses. Raven would make it all better...she truly would...


	42. It Simply Is

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but hey, I think we all knew that already

Trying to Do the Right Thing

Chapter 42: It Simply Is...

By: Finalitylife

Cyborg walked around the kitchen opening up the refrigerator, the small light within providing the only illumination for him though Cyborg really didn't need any light to see. He began pulling out several packages of meat and cheese, placing them on the counter next to the bread. One thing he did have to admit to, that with Bumble Bee still around, the kitchen had been remarkably cleaner. She was not one to mess around with when it came to doing chores, and Cyborg smiled slightly at the fact that he didn't have to fight blue fungus to the death to actually make a sandwich.

Cyborg began to pile the large sandwich together without much thought on the matter, in reality just letting his mind wander to other things. When he finally finished making his sandwich, he walked over at sat down at the table, still not turning on any lights but rather content to simply sit in the dark. It honestly felt that if the dark was around him, then Raven was still around, and that was a comforting thought even after almost two months of her having been gone without any trace.

Cyborg took a slow bite from his sandwich, chewing without any real enthusiasm despite how good it tasted, finally only swallowing when he had to say something...finding it necessary to speak when he felt the familiar yet still slightly ominous presence within the shadows across the room. He hated to admit it, but the presence worried him slightly still...hated that he still thought of one of his friends as a threat, but even Robin would probably not dismiss the notion even with all his progress thus far. When the days were good for him, they were good, and laughter once again dominated the tower. However when days were bad...Cyborg repressed the slightest chill running through his metal body. At least no one had been hurt for at least a month now...

"Well I guess it was only a matter of time before you took off, wasn't it? Did you at least say good bye to Starfire and Beast Boy?"

Cyborg did not expect an immediate response, and patiently waited for something from the shadowy figure illuminated only a bit by the very slightest, subtlest hint of glowing red eyes. Oh how Cyborg hated those eyes...hated to look into them for any reason, always happy that Robin preferred to wear his mask most of the time.

He hated seeing someone else cursed with something like those eyes, a part of his humanity torn away. At least for Cyborg, it was to save his life. For Robin, it was nothing but a lasting, unescapable legacy of a madman and his obsession for control and power. He hated to see those eyes on Robin's human face, and he knew Robin despised them as well. The time Robin, in a fit of rage, almost tore them out only to be stopped by a combined effort of him and Starfire was just one of the proofs of his feelings on the matter. It was also the reason he had worked hard to produce a special device for his friend that had only been possible with the very reluctant sending of a picture from years ago by the Batman which was quickly destroyed there after. Of course Cyborg imagined that at this moment, those hated eyes were revealed as if some type of show of strength by Robin...show he would handle it.

After receiving no response for awhile, Cyborg spoke again.

"You know they won't try to stop you Robin."

"I know they won't try to stop me,.but they will want to come with me and I can't allow that." Again a silence as Cyborg took another bite from his sandwich.

"Yeah that is true, but then why are you talking to me. I'm not too inclined to let you go off on your own either. You're still not well Robin."

"I know that, but I also know that despite you not wanting to let me go alone, you will let me go because you know if I focus on finding her, then my mind won't be trapped where its at now. It will help me to look for her...it will help me to find her more than probably anything else will." Again Cyborg took a bite of his slowly disappearing sandwich, this time talking before he even finished chewing.

"Yeah your probably right though..." Cyborg paused for a few seconds. "Ya know we've really never truly talked about it and you know this is something I never want to say Robin, but how do you know there's even something left to find. We have no idea what truly happened to her at all. I mean where the hell are you going to start?""

Cyborg's voice hesitated as painful emotions welled up, catching his voice in his throat for a few seconds.

"What if she really is just gone."

"I just know Vic...know deep inside myself that she's still out there. I felt her presence when I first woke up free of Slade and even though that feeling has now faded away completely, I know she's still out there...but..." Robin's strong voice is suddenly quiet and uncertain, causing Cyborg to look up from his sandwich with concern.

"As that bound between us faded away completely, one of the last feelings I truly felt from her was like she didn't want me to feel her anymore...felt like she was trying to hide herself...didn't want to be found." The confusion and pain is strongly evident in Robin's voice, and Cyborg can't help but fight down his own pain-filled emotions as they tried to get to the top.

"Yeah and everyone knows you'd still look for her Rob even if she told you straight face to face that she didn't want to be found for whatever reason. I think at this point, the best thing for both of you is to just be together no matter what the reasons are that try to tell you not to be. When you find her, make sure she understands that."

Cyborg sensed that Robin nodded in the darkness, though in fact he was also smiling at how easily his friend said 'when you find her' rather than if. His friends still did believe in him.

"Thank you for the gift Vic. I never asked for this but you...you still made it for me. I'm not even sure how you got it so exactly right...you wouldn't have known the real color." Cyborg chuckled a bit.

"Oh you can thank Batman for that...he filled in the lack of information by sending me a picture of you. You were goofy looking when you were younger you know that."

Robin did not respond, almost finding it hard to believe Bruce would break protocol to do something like that for him. It really made him feel good inside, that he couldn't even frown the slightest at Cyborg's jab at him. He would definitely have to go see Bruce sometime soon...just to say hello. It truly felt like years ago since they had made amends...when he had gotten fatherly advice about women trouble from the dark knight himself.

"Still Cy...thank you, thank you very much."

"Rob, I may not understand everything that your dealing with right now, but I do know that you still aren't able to handle what that bastard Slade did to you...not completely at least. Whatever little bit I can do to help you heal, well then I do it, but its only a small bit of help...you need Raven for the rest of it. There is only so much me, Beast Boy, and Star can do for you...only so much comfort for your battered soul. Raven will be able to help more...she understands you better than any of us ever will...will understand what you are dealing with."

"You are remarkably perceptive Cy, you know that?"

"Yeah...can't get by with only stunning good looks, ya know?" Robin smiled from the shadows.

"I can vaguely recall Beast Boy saying almost exactly the same thing awhile back when I gave him a compliment about his own perceptiveness." Cyborg shook his head slightly.

"Man, I really don't want to think about the fact that he and I might be on the same level...that would just disrupt the natural order of the universe."

"Yeah you're probably right. I expect it from you, but Beast Boy has always been the type to surprise me."

Yeah, the little guy is a lot more than he looks...lot tougher too."

"I'd have to agree with that, though I recommend the next time he starts involving himself with a girl whose trouble, you should just backhand him." Cyborg chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, that's probably the best advice I could ever give him. I guess you just have to expect mistakes to happen, help each other out when they do, and move on with time. It is what it is I guess." Robin nodded from the shadows, moving to leave which Cyborg sensed.

"Oh and by the way, could you at least do me one favor. Come back every once in awhile. It will do you no good to become completely obsessed with finding her. When you start finding yourself losing it, come back and just see your friends for a little while. We'll always be here to help, remember that."

"That I can do Cy. I won't become a complete stranger...will be there whenever you and the city need me. I just have to find her...she saved me and I..." Cyborg cut off Robin.

"It's a lot harder to accept the sacrifice from someone you love then to make it for them isn't it Robin?"

Cyborg received no response as he could no longer sense Robin there, but of course he didn't need one. He knew the answer...just as Raven did when she sought Robin's freedom with everything she was. Cyborg leaned back in his chair with smallest smiles of contentment on his face, and even though he might see Robin for awhile, or the fact that he never might see Raven again, he knew that at the very least, they would never leave any of their hearts.

--

Just over one year later...

The street was filled with monsters and super-villains, mighty roars and maniacal, high pitched laughter everywhere as brightly colored costumed heroes streaked along side their sworn enemies, making bold predictions or speaking cheesy one-liners with all the enthusiasm of a young Robin...or a confused Beast Boy.

A single, black haired woman glided quietly threw the masses, side stepping monster after villain after hero, smiling though still grumbling ever so slightly at the antics as the fearsome forces were stopped so easily by the calling of their mother or father to slow down, that there was plenty of time left for Trick-or-Treating and there was no need to rush so much.

"But mom, if we don't hurry, I won't get any of the good candy." The black-haired woman stepped past the whiny little boy who was probably no older than six year old as he begged his mom to hurry up, a slightly older girl pointing at him calling him a baby-whiner which caused the two children to start bickering, only making the black-haired woman smile a little wider. Oh she just hated Halloween...far too much noise.

She continued her trek through what was less organized than some mob scenes she had seen, finally coming to her destination, pulling open the door with a slight jingle form the bells on it. She was immediately hit with the sound of more bickering of children, making her inwardly grumble again, though once more smiling at the two young girls who were pulling on their mother's leg to get her to take them out.

"We'll leave soon enough. Rachel just got here. Let her get settled in, and we'll head out." This was answered with a cheer as the two girls turned toward the black-haired, blue eyed woman.

"Rachel! Rachel! Which one of us looks better?" Rachel gazed upon the two girls, not sure if to feel mildly disturbed, flattered, or a little of both at the sight before her. Smaller versions of the Titans Raven and Starfire staring up at her with hopeful eyes...though thankfully a Starfire costume was far, far more covering than what the real alien princess wore.

"I think you both look great." The two little girls smiled before again bickering at each other.

"I bet she thinks mines better because at least I'm someone whose still a Titan."

"Shut up! Raven is still a Titan, they said that she just had to go home for awhile. She will come back.""

"Whatever, the only reason Raven needs to come back is so she can be maid of honor at Starfire and Robin's wedding. They so belong together, isn't that right?" Rachel hid the slightest bit of be shock as the innocent question was directed at her, feeling a slight pain in her heart.

"Perhaps your right squirt, but I really don't know." The answer did nothing to quell the arguing, even as she whispered that she hoped Robin could at least find happiness with Starfire by his side. Perhaps that was always what was meant to be in fate's eyes.

"So you'll be fine by yourself then Rachel?"

"I don't think I'll have to worry about a massive wave of buyers on Halloween night Sandy. I just don't think that's a big book selling holiday." Rachel's employer rolled her eyes at her employee, who as apathetic and sarcastic as she was, was by far the best worker she ever had. It of course helped that Rachel seemed to have absolutely no social life, though Sandy was always encouraging her at least to go out and do something. People Rachel's age shouldn't just let life pass them by.

"Alright, well then I'll be off with these two. If you want, you can close early, but I'm sure as usual you don't have any plans even if it is Halloween. Didn't that one really cute guy whose always in here flirting with you invite you to a party?" Rachel did not even look up from the book she had just opened up in front of her.

"Yes because my idea of having a good time is putting on some skimpy costume and being ogled by drunken idiots."

"Good point but you should at least try to have a little more fun. When's the last time you even took a weekend off?" The conversation ended abruptly as Sandy's two daughters began pulling on her leg again, reminding the woman that she needed to go.

"Alright you two, we'll go. Take care Rachel, see you tomorrow." The two girls smiled and waived as well as they left which Rachel returned. As soon as the door shut, leaving her alone again, she let out a deep sigh though nothing else. There was a time when tears might even make their way down her cheeks but she had thankfully gotten past that...at least that was what she told herself. There was no reason to cry over things that couldn't be changed...this what it.

Rachel went back to trying to read the words of the book in front of her, but found herself really unable to concentrate on the words in front of her, rubbing the bridge of her nose to try and relax or absentmindedly twisted a specific ring on her finger that allowed her to blend in with the normal people of the world...not freak people out by her strange appearance or simply be remembered for who she had been.

Seeing all those costumes and familiar colors today had done nothing to brighten her usual down mood, just serving to bring back a lot of memories she truly never wanted to forget, but found it best not to dwell on. She chose to leave that life behind for his sake, and at least she could be happy for that.

It had been over a year since she had used the last waning bits of her demonic aura and power to disappear from Slade's lair, to disappear from her family and her life as Raven the Titan, and to create the new life. Her power lasted just long enough for her to 'obtain' the things she needed to become a new person, and then one day, the dark energy she had wielded for so long was simply gone as she had expected it to be...just one of the prices she paid for brining Robin back from the dead.

Still half demon physically and no longer with any powers other than the smallest bit of empathy that managed to endure. Of course it only truly worked when she used all her energy to concentrate on a person right in front of her which she really wasn't inclined to do. There were no emotions that she wanted to feel from the strangers of this world...only from her missed friends...only from him but she never would again.

From almost day one on the planet Earth, Raven had always been prepared to disappear from whatever life she had formed had the need arrived to hide herself somewhere else, having secretly set up dozens of possible fake identities that were in fact very real if one looked into it, something that had been possible thanks to some special spells. In fact if anyone ever looked into the identify of Rachel Stevenson, the would find records for years back of her existence. Just another average person within the billions on this planet...nothing odd about her...nothing special...simply just there.

Her magic was very useful for hiding her self or her appearance, and she knew enough spells to do each very effectively. Her last resort had always been portalling to a different dimension as she had tried when she had tried to escape the coming prophecy when it finally looked unescapable while on this planet, but that plan was forever closed to her...leaving this planet has her final home no matter what, and she really couldn't be upset with that prospect. She did like it here after all.

Despite having found happiness and friends with the Titans and even before the final ordeal with her Father, Raven had never stopped planning ahead, never truly believed that everything would last and she wouldn't have to vanish to another place within this planet. She even went as far as to have Cyborg make a holographic ring for her to hide her appearance completely, for fear that someone would be able to track her magical presence and find her that way if she was using it to transform herself.

Cyborg had never questioned to truly why Raven had wanted the ring because he probably had thought it was the same reasoning as to why he had enjoyed that ring himself so much. It was a sensitive subject, and Cyborg had performed the task without question. He never really knew the true truth behind Raven's request, nor that it would help Raven to disappear. Of course if Cyborg had actually remembered that he had made her the ring, it might actually be easy for someone to find her, but Raven had ensured he would never remember. Though she hated manipulating her friends memories like that, it had been necessary. It would have been easier if there had simply been a way to completely wipe herself from all their memories, but there wasn't. Hiding was all that was left.

In the end, Raven's intelligence, secretive nature, and her generally needed paranoia had served her well...helped her to disappear when the time finally came even months after beating the demonic monster who had made such preparations necessary. Funny how things like to work out...fate and its twisted, sick sense of humor.

Trigon was gone, Slade was gone, and Robin had been saved yet still there could be no happy ending for Raven. Even though Raven had broken the curse's hold on Robin, he had still been dead, and she brought him back the only way she could...through dark and forbidden magic similar to what Slade had used to control Robin...what Trigon had used to raise Slade from a volcanic tomb. These were not powers to be trifled with yet she had little other option.

Robin's body was dead, and his soul was greatly damaged because of the forced separation between his soul and the curse energy. His soul was dying and needed a living anchor to pull him back, and Raven had used her own body and soul to do it, forged her own magic and soul self into the chain that would bind his soul to hers forever so that he would draw breathe again. It all really seemed so simply though as she knew, nothing was simply with dark, chaotic magic.

By using her power to bind her and Robin together, it inevitably took her powers away from her permanently, leaving her without any true magical prowess. The powers of her soul self that had become second nature to her, that she had taken for granted for so very long were completely gone.

In a time past, Raven would have not been that distraught at being rendered...well more normal, but now that she was powerless, she could no longer stand equally along side the other Titans. She was weak, vulnerable, just like any other person, lacking that which had made her strong and protected all her life. She was now just as in danger as any other normal human in the world, even in far more danger if any enemy ever learned she was actually Raven without power. This was a terrible problem for Raven...it was the real reason she left.

By binding Robin's dying soul to her alive one, Robin had been given a new spark of life fueled from her own energy. However the connection that had pulled Robin back from the abyss had only been made until death...her death. If she died, then Robin would die as well...that was the final price paid to bring him back from the dead. His life was forever tied into hers...would be extinguished the second her own life was snuffed out.

Knowing this, Raven did what she needed to do. If she stayed with the Titans as she was, she would always be in danger, always be a liability, always be a threat to Robin's well being. If something happened to her, it would happen to him, and she just could not allow that to happen. She loved him far too much to be the one whose weakness and carelessness would cost him his life...it had been her who had cost him his freedom and his life in the first place. This was the price she willing to pay even though every second of every day brought so much misery and sadness.

If protecting Robin meant living as a normal, powerless human being, working an average job at a small bookstore, living in a small quiet city in a tiny apartment, and forever being apart from the ones she loved, then that was what she would do. Robin would not suffer anymore just because she was weak. It was all she could do for him...loving someone with every fiber of your being just wasn't enough to protect them in this world...it just was never enough..

Raven closed her eyes for a few seconds, wishing at the very least she could still feel the lingering connection to Robin that had always given her hope when she had searched for him. However it was gone forever, the new connection not working the same as the one she had once created so long ago to express her feelings toward Robin...a completely different lifetime ago it truly felt like for Raven, and in truth it really felt like a lost lifetime.

There was no emotional or mental feedback with this bond, only an empty, cold feeling that always seemed to be mocking her with her loneliness and pain. She was all alone again just as she had been when she first came to this dimension and this planet...completely and totally alone. Raven laid her head in her hands, forcing everything back inside where it belonged, berating herself mentally for being so selfish in wanting to go back home. She wasn't allowed that...not anymore.

--

Rachel, the quiet and calm bookstore worker quietly and calmly restrained herself from strangling the person standing in front of her. Why is it that the most indecisive people with hundreds of questions only come to buy things 5 minutes before closing time? And on Halloween night for that matter! Apparently there was somebody else in this city with nothing else to do tonight other than Rachel

It was already twenty minutes past the time she was supposed to have gone home and this woman was still asking question after question. On the plus side, the woman as at least buying lots of stuff, but Rachel just really wanted to go home and sleep. She had been depressed since she came into work and just wanted to go. It looked like this sale from hell was almost over, but Rachel heard the jingling of the door opening again, catching a tall figure coming in, and cursed loudly in her head that she hadn't gotten the chance to at least put up the 'closed' sign.

"So I think that will be all I want. Could you please ring me up?"

"Of course. Right this way." Rachel led the woman over to the cash register and quickly and politely got the woman the hell of the store. This left only one other person in the store, and Rachel grumbled to herself as she approached the aisle the man was one.

She approached tentatively, feeling the smallest bit of apprehension at the larger figure in the back corner of the store. Without her power, Raven was in reality just a smaller than average young woman, though she at least had some martial arts training to defend herself with...thanks to Robin. Even so, every night she closed by herself she always felt a little bit afraid when guys came in late at night even if they were always far more flirtatious than threatening, and it was more common than not considering there was a nearby community college. It had become expected, wishing her appearance wasn't so appealing to the masses of the idiotic male gender, but this is what she would probably look like if she was in fact all human...it couldn't really be helped.

This guy though in front of her was nearly six feet tall and his lean muscles were all too clear through his tight, black shirt, making him attractive but still rather imposing to the much smaller Raven. She stopped for a second, forcing her tired mind to use its empathy just a little to get a feel from this guy, finding nothing obviously threatening from the barely glimpse of his aura she was able to get which relaxed her a little bit.

"Excuse me sir, but we actually closed about twenty minutes ago. We will open up at 9 tomorrow morning, so if you don't mind..." Raven's forced politeness was cut off by the deep voice of the young man.

"I never thought I'd ever hear you call someone sir Raven. It doesn't seem right...about as unnatural as blue eyes on your face."

Raven's entire body went tense, every muscle seizing up in an instance as though the voice had gotten deeper, it was still far too familiar voice to forget, speaking a name that should have been forgotten as well.

The tall, black haired man did not move, only continued to flip casually through a book that was in his hands as if he was not really interested in what was there, but just needed to do something with his hands at the moment. Raven however, was slowly getting her motor skills back, taking a few quick steps backwards away from him, glancing around the room for some means of escape, but she knew that would be futile. She was just a weak young woman now, and this...this was him.

"So I imagine you just won't come back easily with me, will you?" The smooth, deep voice was slightly shaky, with the slightest hint of being upset, but it was mostly calm and a little bit soothing for Raven to hear his voice again. All Raven could do was shake her head no, unable to find her words that would so easily explain everything.

The tall figure turned his head slightly, darkly shaded glasses blocking anyone from seeing the eyes underneath, though Raven was more drawn to the gentle smile on his amazingly handsome face...a bit more mature face but still so easily him.

"Care to grab a cup of coffee with me then?"

"You know I hate coffee." The simple statement came right out of Raven's mouth quickly, shocking herself at the fact she actually could say anything coherent at this moment.

"I know...I just figured at the very least you didn't want to be at work anymore so a change of scenery might be best for a badly needed conversation."

Raven quietly nodded, though all she really wanted to do was run away. He had found her despite her best efforts. The falseness that her magics had created should have lasted for several more years, kept her fake identity safe from prying and curious eyes long enough so that everyone would simply give up the search...forget about her completely.

However, it appeared she had underestimated Batman's protégé. He had found her quicker than she could have ever imagined, and to be honest she knew that a year just wasn't enough time for her to come truly to terms with being all alone again. She hadn't planned to ever have to see him face to face every again...couldn't handle facing him right now...this was bad, this much she knew. She should have just moved to the other side of the world. Damn her for becoming far too comfortable in this country's language and customs.

"I just...just need to...have to..." Raven's uncertain words were accompanied with her further back peddling away from him, turning away to try to get away in a rather frantic attempt that got her nowhere. Her movements were stopped with a strong yet amazingly gentle grip around her wrist, and the gentle whisper of her name that could only be spoken like that by him.

Raven did not resist as she was pulled into his strong embrace, his arms wrapping tightly around her, though her own arms remained limp at her sides with shock as well as fear that if she touched him she would never be able to stop. He spoke her name again, quietly and kindly, and she found her body relaxing in the tone of his familiar voice, the horrible loneliness driven away so quickly...her will to push him away and run away breaking so easily.

Raven still could not resist when he tilted her head up so that she had to look at him with her fake blue eyes that still found a way to be so very expressive still. There was a moment where time seemed stand still, which ended when the tall figure reached down to capture her lips in what started out as a gentle kiss, and any resistance Raven had left quickly fled when the gentle kiss turned into the most passionate kiss that either of them had ever had, one filled with longing and need that could only be found between two lovers who had been apart for far too long though in truth they had never been lovers.

By the time Raven's better senses finally came back, she found herself with her legs wrapped around his waist which was no small feat with the long black skirt she was wearing and her back pushed up against a bookcase filled with books, the only sound in the store being both of their ragged breathing.

"Raven..." Again her name came off his lips, only this time hearing it caused Raven's body to shudder in delight at the desire that was there. However, Raven's inner strength fought for control and finally won, knowing this simply could not be allowed to continue..

"We have...we have to stop this. This is not right...will only make everything so much harder. I believe you wanted to talk, so I think we should go do that. Please..." He did not move for a few seconds, Raven's quiet plea making his emotions slow down allowing him to regain his composure as Raven's feet gently went back to the ground.

"How about we just go for a walk? Do you think that's okay?" Robin's voice was now back to a calm tone as he stood up tall, awaiting a response from the still slightly unsettled and disheveled Raven.

"I guess that will be okay. Just let me finish up a few things. I do have a job to do still."

Robin nodded as Raven slightly scurried away to finish her closing routine so the store would be ready for the morning. With every movement, she contemplated just bolting for the door as fast as her legs could carry her, knowing she was not ready to talk with him about everything...wasn't sure if he was ready to face the truth she would have to tell him.

However, thoughts of even attempting to escape were ended when Robin chose his spot to wait right next to the door, casually leaning up against the wall right next to it with his arms folded over his chest. Though it seemed like he wasn't really paying attention, Raven could feel his eyes on her with every movement, and Raven could only wonder what he was thinking.

Robin's position also gave Raven the opportunity to study Robin, allowed her to truly take him how much he had changed. His growth spurt had finally come, his body filling out into that of a man, rather than a still growing teenager. If he had been attractive to her before, he was now absolutely gorgeous to her. However, Raven's eyes no matter how much they enjoyed the rest of him always went back to the tinted glasses that effectively hid his eyes...inhuman eyes. Those eyes were her fault, and just another reminder why she had to stay away from him.

With a slam of the cash register, Raven was done and slowly turned back to Robin who only nodded slightly as he moved out the door, holding it open for her, awaiting her to step outside as well. Robin easily noticed the slightly fearful hesitation in her movement, causing him to frown slightly, wondering if she really viewed him as a threat...perhaps he was.

"I'm not going to hurt you Raven."

"I know...its me that will hurt you." Robin's frown disappeared as his face went back to a blank expression as Raven locked the bookstore door, the two now standing out in a pleasant October evening, only the gentlest of breezes present.

"So where are we walking to Rachel?" Raven did not look at Robin, noticing the tone in his voice as he said her new name that showed how much he hated saying it. Raven did not comment on that matter, only started moving forward.

"It really doesn't matter. Perhaps toward the park. There shouldn't be to many people there."

Robin remained frozen on the spot for a few seconds, watching a young woman he didn't exactly recognize at this moment walking away, before shuffling quickly forward to catch up with her. The hair, the eyes, the skin, they were all different. The clothes...a long black skirt and a purple top were not what he was used to seeing her in. However, the way she moved, the pure grace in every one of her movements...it was Raven no matter how she tried to hide...didn't even understand why she tried to hide. There had to be an explanation...an explanation that would inevitably allow her to come home. There had to be...

The two walked silently down the street, Robin walking about a half step behind Raven the whole time, allowing her to dictate the direction, moving seamlessly through the groups of people in costumes they would occasionally encounter, though no one would realize that it was indeed the two people without costumes who were indeed the most veiled at this moment. It was Raven who finally broke the silence.

"How is everyone?" Robin responded in a quiet casual tone, anyone watching the two would think it was just an average conversation about the weather or a movie, not what they were actually talking about.

"Fine...I had to spend the past month back at the Tower helping them with an incident with Brother Blood. Its gotten a lot easier with the Titan's East still staying with us, but still, there was a lot of close calls...almost lost Speedy, but we won in the end. The whole thing really set me back on my searching...really wasn't easy on me."

Robin started to slightly trail off in a strange, sorrow-filled tone which Raven noticed easily, feeling the desire well up to comfort him but she resisted. Robin quickly went on to something else, that which was haunting still slipping away for the moment from the surface of his mind.

"You were not easy to find you know that Raven. I had to call in hundreds of favors...so did Batman. There were people looking for you on other planets in fact, of course as it turned out you were still on Earth. It really is amazing that you could disappear for so long Raven."

"It IS Rachel now. Raven is gone." Robin opened his mouth to say something, but instead chose to remain silent for the moment, Raven's tone stopping him, waiting for Raven to say something else.

"You should have stayed back at the tower. I was hoping that you had finally given up looking for me."

"Oh...so I guess you've been keeping tabs on us then."

"Its not difficult. I simply follow the news which always seems so interested in why Robin of the Titans seems to disappear for sometimes up to a month at a time though he doesn't pop up in Gotham. Oh by the way, good excuse on telling the media I had to return home. It works perfect because no one actually knows where I'm from anyway."

Robin reached up and scratched the back of his head with a slight smile.

"Would you believe it was Beast Boy's idea?"

"No." That was the end of the conversation.

Again the two walked quietly, Robin wanting her to initiate the conversation, not wanting to directly confront Raven on the million questions he had for her, not wanting to push to hard on her, fighting harshly against his own raging emotions to just grab hold of her and never let go until he was back at the tower. They were now clearly in what was probably the park Raven had mentioned, and Robin watched as Raven stopped, sitting quietly on a bench. Robin eventually sat next to her, and again silence became the only conversation.

"You are aware that I'm waiting for you to say something." Robin hid his slight surprise at Raven suddenly speaking, glancing over at the black haired woman who continued to simply stare on ahead, absolutely no expression on her face.

"Yes, and I imagine you already know what I want to know so how about you just go ahead and explain. Raven's body went rigid, her small hands clenching into fists as she turned toward Robin.

"Why did you have to come here. Why couldn't you have just left me alone? This was all so hard already...why did you have to show up and make it even harder? Why..." Robin instinctively reached for Raven's hand with his own, though the first hint of contact made Raven recoil as if she had been burnt.

"Why is what I want to know too Raven...why did you disappear? Why did you save me then work so hard to vanish completely." Raven looked up at Robin, a cold look in her false eyes.

"Saving you was the reason I had to leave...but...but explaining it won't change anything. Can't you just leave me alone...go back to the others and just be happy?"

"How can you expect me to be happy without you? Raven, everyone misses you. You need to come home."

"Its not that simple Robin. Its never that simple...not for us. I can't come back even though I so badly want to. I can't risk returning to that life...I just can't risk it."

Robin studied the young woman in front of him, wanting to just hold her again and never let go but he knew Raven did not want to be touched right now, her body language told him that. She was angry yet sad, defiant and yet so afraid...he hated seeing her like this...reminded him far too much of the last time he had truly been with her...before the final battle with Trigon.

Robin was not stupid, knew that all Raven wanted was to get away from him as fast and as far as possible, though he for the life of him couldn't figure out why she so badly wanted to hide from him...or for that matter why she just didn't teleport away...an important realization suddenly dawned on Robin.

"You don't have any power anymore do you Raven?" Raven wrapped her arms around herself, slowly nodding her head, looking so very small to the tall, imposing figure Robin had become.

"Its because of me isn't it. You lost your power to save me. I'm sorry Raven...I'm so sorry..." Raven's head snapped up, anger obvious in her eyes.

"Just shut up Robin. This was my choice...my decision. None of this has ever been your fault. It was my fault that you ever had to serve Slade in the first place so don't stand there and apologize to me. This is my fault...everything is my fault!"

Raven's body shivered slightly even though it wasn't cold, her arms wrapping even tighter around herself, gazing off to the side as if looking at something far, far away only she could see.

"The truth is that it was I who manipulated you into stepping in front of the bullet that killed you...it was me. I helped kill you Robin...just as I helped kill Slade. I'm guilty...so very guilty. Please just leave me alone...leave me to suffer as I deserve to. Just go back to the tower, go be with our friends, be with Starfire...she'll love you forever, make you happy. Just leave me...please."

Robin just continued to stare at Raven who was fighting with every fiber of her being not to break down and cry, her voice finally giving out on her, strange hiccup sounds being the only thing coming from her mouth.

"I don't want to go back without you Raven, and I don't want to be with Starfire. I want to be with you Raven. I lov..."

"Just shut up!" Raven lunged forward, feebly pushing Robin in the chest though she pushed herself back more than he moved.

"I killed you Robin! I killed Slade! Don't tell me you can accept that...don't tell me you can forgive me for doing such terrible things. I don't deserve to go back to the tower. I don't deserve to see everyone again, and I most certainly don't deserve to have your love. Please...please go...I can't...just can't..."

"Stop trying to make me hate you Raven. You didn't manipulate me in front of that bullet...you saved me, pulled me from my own darkness and...and Rose told me about Slade. I've come to terms with that Raven because I know I would have done the same thing to save you or any other member of the Titans because they are my family. I won't fault you forever for what you did. You're trying to make me hate you, but I'm not going to. Nothing you could do could ever make me feel that way toward you."

Robin studied Raven, her body quivering ever so slightly, her gaze still refusing to meet his, and Robin knew.

"There's something you're not telling me Raven, and I want to know what that is. What are you truly hiding from me?" Even Raven's breathing stopped at Robin's revelation, trying to look even farther away from Robin than she was already doing. Slowly, her shoulders hunched completely, are body beginning to sag as if she was so very tired...so very defeated.

"I already told you, explaining everything won't change anything. Just go home..."

"I'm not going to leave Raven, and you won't be able to hide again now that I've found you. Tell me what's going on?"

"I'm powerless Robin. I'm nothing but an ordinary person now without any superhuman gifts that would allow me to fight by all of your sides. Its amazing that to be normal...to just simply be me...I've been dreaming about it since I was a little girl on Azarath, pleading for the universe to just let me be like everybody else...and now that its happened...I can't go back to the only place I've ever been loved and accepted. I can't go back because...because you could die because of me...that's why I can't go back."

"I don't understand Raven. Why would I die because of you?"

"Because...in order to bring you back to life, I had to bind our lives together. If I were to die, then you would die as well Robin, and it is far too dangerous for someone like me to come back to the tower. I can't take that chance that something would happen to me...I won't cut your life short just because of me. At least look at the bright side, I am still half demon physically so I should naturally live longer than normal humans. You won't have to worry..."

Robin felt like his head was spinning, quickly searching for his perfect rebuttal that would destroy all doubts and bring Raven home though everything seemed to have a flaw in it.

"Raven you can still come back to the tower. We can protect you...I can train you to defend yourself..."

"No Robin. I don't have the natural physical abilities to ever be trained as you or Batman is. Also, you can try to protect me, but you know as well as I do that there is no guarantee you will always be successful. At the very best, you do manage to protect me, but I am forced to live a life of complete protection of the dangers that follow the Titans every day...become a prisoner in my own home. I don't want that, and I know you wouldn't want that for me either. I can't go back to that type of life. Trust me Robin, I've put a lot of thought into this...thought about it before I did it, and even continued to think about all this time I've been living this life...this is my fate, and I've accepted it."

Silence...complete silence as Raven quietly reaffirmed her fate with Robin who only could plea with his mind to give him a solution to break through Raven's objections to bring Raven back to the Titans...back to him. He needed her...needed her love to help control the darkness that still continued to reside within him, that which had been so forcibly nurtured by Slade.

"I'll give it all up...I'll give up being Robin. Me and you, we can be together...just live the normal life you always wanted." Robin smiled hopefully at Raven who only sadly shook her head.

"You say that, but we both know you do not mean it. I know you Robin...know that you could never, ever give up the fight for justice and the protection of the innocent. You could never stop being Robin because you truly are Robin...the defender of all that is wonderful and beautiful in this flawed world. One of the very reasons that I love you so much is also one of the very reasons we can never be together. You can't give up your life as a hero Robin. I know this...you know this."

Robin opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself. He honestly wasn't sure at this exact moment if he could argue with her about this. Could he give up being Robin? He had vowed from the day his parents died that he would never give up the fight to protect those who couldn't defend themselves but...but if giving it up was the only way to be with Raven...he didn't know. All he knew was the he loved her and needed her far more than he had admitted to her yet. Raven took Robin's slightly stunned silence as a cue to continue talking.

"Now you understand...understand why I changed my identity, hid my appearance, and disappeared. Raven can never be allowed to exist again because if she does, you are in danger. Raven must be gone forever...it is the only way."

Robin continued to stare at her, his body suddenly becoming more rigid than it had been.

"Raven...honestly...I...I don't think I can do this without you..." Raven felt her heart clench as she watched the calm face of Robin suddenly disappear as if his mask had suddenly been torn off. He now seemed panicked and tired with complete uncertainty etched into his features.

"Every day...every moment...I can feel the darkness within me, clawing its way back to the surface, fighting to take control again. And...and every time I close my eyes, I can see him...see Slade, see myself reliving the horrors of his apprenticeship over and over again. "

Robin's body was now shaking every so slightly along with an increasing quiver in his formerly strong, masculine voice. For the first time since confronting Raven, it was Robin who looked like the weaker one of the two. Robin raised his shaking hand to his head, clutching it tightly there. In his mind, he kept asking himself if this was it, that everything that had occurred since forming the Titans had all led to this and could never be changed. This couldn't be it...couldn't.

"The only thing that helps fight it all back was knowing you were still out there, that one day I could see you again, and be with you, and everything could be like it was again. I think of you and everything feels better. I think of your face, and I can dream instead of being plagued with horrendous nightmares. I don't think I can ever truly heal without you Rae...and now you're telling me there's no hope...I can't Rae...I can't..."

Robin soon found Raven's slender arm slipping around him, her head resting against his shoulder as she squeezed him tightly even though her mind protested strongly against her hearts actions. She just couldn't stop herself. Robin's body did not stop shaking immediately even if Raven could feel him slowly starting to relax though he did not return the embrace.

"I'm sorry Robin...I am truly sorry for all of this." Robin did not say anything, but instead reached his hands up to Raven's shoulders and pushed her back slightly from him so he could look down at her, a rather calm look on his features despite his emotional distress.

"Neither of us are allowed to be sorry anymore Raven, okay? Neither of us have to be sorry for what we've done in our quest to save those we love from the darkness because we've always been thinking of others, not ourselves. Okay Raven?"

Robin smiled kindly at Raven, seemingly completely relaxed despite being near a breakdown only moments ago. Raven did not respond, only continued to look up at the face that had matured greatly in only the short time they had been apart though his heart and soul were exactly the same as when she had first fallen in love with him. Robin reached over, gently caressing Raven's cheek with a feather touch.

"Okay Raven?"

"I'll try...I think that's all any of us can do in this world."

"I think you're right. Sorrow and guilt...its not something that can be let go of easily, but we can try, and we don't have to carry it alone." Raven quickly turned her head, looking away with a pained look on her face.

"Robin...you know we can't be together. You know I'm right...it just can't work." Robin stared at Raven, letting out a deep sigh as he turned Raven's face back towards him.

"You're probably right...but I guess we really won't know unless we try now will we."

"Robin...no...I won't let something happen to you because of..." Robin put his finger to Raven's lips to silence her.

"Shhh Raven. I told you, you don't have to carry this all on your own, and to be honest, I'm really a bit jumbled on what I really want to say to you right now, but at the very least I can ask you at this moment...well..."

Robin sat up tall, an almost nervous smile on his face, reaching up to pull his glasses from his face, Raven losing her breath as she was confronted with not something horrific, but instead those two perfect blue eyes she never thought she would see again.

"Hi. My name is Richard Grayson, and I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night. There's a nice little bistro on the other side of town that I think you would love."

Raven blinked a few times as she looked up at Richard who was still smiling. Raven found herself lost in his eyes, completely unsure of how which Richard easily realized.

"A small gift from Cyborg," Robin said as he pointed to a platinum chain around his neck.

"Works probably just like that little ring you have on your finger to give me back what I lost...visually at least, but that's not important right now. What's important is that I made a decision. I'm not asking you to spend the rest of your life living alone just to protect me, and I'm not asking you to come running back to the tower. All I'm asking from you is to say yes to tonight, and from there, I really don't know what will happen. Perhaps it's a little bit selfish, but I really don't want to have to think about the future right now...just tonight and tomorrow. So how about it Rachel?"

Raven sat silently for a few moments, allowing herself to contemplate his words, realizing how simple he made it sound, how easy it would be to just say yes. Robin was not asking for the world or for her to endanger her life or his. He was simply asking for tomorrow night...just not to worry about things bigger than the two normal people sitting on a park bench at that moment. Raven gave Robin a soft smile as she looked up at him.

"I would be delighted to go to dinner with you Richard, but I have to work tomorrow night."

Robin found himself staring blankly at her with shock on his face, though he noticed her soft smile turning into something a little bit more mischievous.

"However, I think I can make it up to you. How about we go get that cup of coffee you asked about earlier...back at my place." It was Robin's turn to blink a few times at the young woman in front of him before he smiled as well.

"I thought you didn't like coffee?"

"I don't." Raven leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Robin's lips that was truly the most perfect thing either of them had felt in so very long.

"So you ready to go Richard?"

"Of course, I've been ready for awhile I think."

As Robin and Raven walked away, they walked hand and hand toward an unknown future where it could all be over tomorrow, or the next day, or the next. There was no way to truly know, but for a little while, they simply wouldn't devote all their time to trying to protect each other, but simply love each other, and perhaps that was truly all the protection either of them ever would need.

Time marches in only one direction and fate may try to force a path upon you, but no matter what, life will always come down to one's own choice...as long as one has the strength of will to chose...to chose what lies within their heart, and in the end, it doesn't matter if the choice is truly right or wrong...just that it is made so you can find out.

--

--

Robin and Raven disappeared into the night, and as soon as the two birds were gone, a one-eyed white haired girl appeared from behind a nearby tree with a slightly unsettling smile on her face.

"Oh looks like Rae-Rae is going to go get some with Mr. Tall, dark, and gorgeous. Hehe...something about a guy who can take you in a fight that just makes you want him to take you to bed. Lucky Ravey, lucky Ravey...perhaps I'll get to play with him too, but I'm sure you wouldn't like that at all...hehe"

Rose stood there silently in the night, her smile disappearing, a deep, contemplative look replacing her usual, jovial and smiling face, a heavy feeling in the air around her.

"See you soon enough Titans...or is it my friends? I'll find out one day...this I know. The future will come soon enough, it always does, and all we can ever do is hope to survive it."

Rose melded quietly back into the shadows, disappearing into the night, and the world simply moved on.

–

Final A/N:

And that my friends is it. If not sure how well everything works in this final installment or if it even makes sense for that matter but simply put, it is done. Interpret it as you wish because none of my endings are ever truly 'complete' in many ways, but that is done intentionally. Those who have been reading my stories for awhile now probably know why that is.

I could write an extensive list of gratitude, but I won't. I'm grateful to everyone whose ever read this story and more specifically to those who have constantly reviewed chapter to chapter to help provide feedback and motivation to keep going even when I grew weary of this endeavor. Some have been reviewing since the moment I started writing (there is one of you and for that you get the most thanks), some from when I started writing this story, and even some only in the last couple of months, but in the end, this story is dedicated to you because it would have never been completed without the kind words and of course the occasional threat...you know who you are. Thanks a lot...it can never be said enough and I'm not gonna try...I grow annoyed with being repetitive. It is what it is and nothing will change that. I guess that's good enough.

Its still hard to believe that after almost a year and a half, this story is finally over...I'm amazed it ever got this far because I honestly can't even remember what I envisioned for this when I started it though I'm positive it wasn't 160,000 words and 42 chapters. I guess I am proud of what I'm created and perhaps at some point I actually became a writer. This is probably my greatest story, a combination of many of my other stories and ideas into one, final sum. It worked I think...

For the most part, this is a final good bye to many of my readers as I only have one other story to finish which has a much smaller fanbase and then I'm 'retiring' from this genre. Its been a hell of a ride, and I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted. I'm not the best writer nor the worst, and my ideas were never the best nor the most original, but I think I've entertained and isn't that what matters. Of cousre, I'm also one of the few writers whose actually completed everything they've started. That my friend, is the best show of respect to my readers I can ever do. I do intend to probably write for different genres more than likely under different pennames, but no final decisions have been made. If you ever had any questions, comments, or anything for that matter about anything I've written or will write, just let me know.

So long, good bye, and take care. I think I've said in my writing everything I really need to say.

Oh, does anyone else find it strange that Robin was never fully able to say, "I love you" to an awake Raven. Just one of those things you'd figure would get done before the story ended. Oh wellz, that's it...


End file.
